


Bloodstone

by Quandisa



Series: Jewels Of The Midnight Sky [7]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst and Feels, Blood Drinking, Blood Play, Bondage, Choking, Domestic Violence, F/F, Hot Tub Sex, Knifeplay, Lesbian Sex, Orphans, Puppy Play, Strap-Ons, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-07-25 09:53:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 42,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16195145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quandisa/pseuds/Quandisa
Summary: Nurse Sandy has been living at the hospital for months, unwilling to go home. Yet, there's someone on this dark hospital floor that just be who she needs.Zareen Zircon has the world, and is disgusted. As empires fall to dust what is there left to live for?





	1. The Graveyard Shift

The graveyard shift is a lonely one. The tile radiated chill and drove a sharp slice through the feet of the lost souls working the echoing halls. Most let the ambient lighting dull their wits at their stations.

One soul was as alert as if it was noon. She had finished the work to be a doctor, but preferred the quiet work of a RN. It saved her some paperwork and let her closer to her patients; Most prescribed sedatives and not a bother. She could pass through the night with hardly a word said, and that’s how she liked it.

For the last couple of months she’d been living here to avoid going home, so it felt almost comfortable to guide through the halls. This shift had her cleaning things up in pediatrics. It was larger than most places she had work at, because they were opposite a rare farming field the only light from outside was the moon and the parking lamps. 

It was growing from a sliver to a disc, she could still feel it in her bones. Taking out an interface she reviewed the stats of the patient briefly.  Leukemia. High white cell count, low iron, regular fevers. Ten years old. 

“Damn,” she swore to herself. It still hurt, seeing people so young denied their futures, it brought up a special hurt in her.

Still, at least she could sleep and dream. However, as she stepped in she noticed the bed’s occupant was sitting up looking out at the stars.

“Good Evening,” the patient jumped, and her pulse went jagged on the monitor. “I’m Nurse Sandy. How are you tonight?”

“I’m sick. That’s why I’m here,” she had a big attitude for someone so small, but she shuffled back into bed.

“True, but there’s more to a person than a body. How are you feeling?”

“That doesn’t matter. How I’m feeling doesn’t change the fact I’m dying.” It was delivered so coldly it shocked the nurse.

“M-my, it doesn’t scare you to say something like that?”

“No. Dying is easy. You die. That’s it. Life is hard.”

“Where’d you hear a thing like that?”

The waif blonde scoffed and rolled her eyes. 

“Why do “adults” think kids can’t figure things out for themselves? Things die all the time. No one cries when you toss out a jug of milk.”

“How are you like a milk jug? Arms please?” The girl held out both arms for inspection.

“No one will cry when I’m gone. I have no friends or family to be sad about me. It’s for the best.”

“Who said that’s what’s best?” This child was upsetting her awful, but she couldn’t let it show. The dear was trying to be brave.

“I did. People don’t like to cry, so it’s better to be alone like me, no one will be sad. You’re a nurse. You see all kinds of people die everyday.”

“Yes, but it still makes me sad. Being sad is part of being human. It’s healthy.”

The girl scoffed. “That’s stupid. How can being sad be healthy?”

The sensors were in place and functioning. On the panel she held up her i.d. band and the medication was released. She took it and prepped it to be added.

“Well, haven’t you ever had a good cry and felt better after?”

“No. I don’t cry.”

The nurse smiled. “Arm. You know. You remind me of someone.”

“Who? Your kid?”

“No. Never had children. My wife. She likes to play it cool too, but when she thought the cleaners had lost her favorite suit she threw a fit and pouted until I came home with her supper.”

“So you married a child.”

“No. But grown ups aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.” A final visual exam and a system scan showed everything error free. “You’ve got some big opinions.”

“Yeah, well. That’s ‘cause I’m smarter than some grown ups. I’m smarter than my case worker. She keeps talking about finding me a family. No family is going to want me. I’m dying and I’m different.”

“That’s good. It would be horrible if everyone were the same. Now, what can we do about you sleeping?”

“Nothing. They took me off the sleepy medicine. It gave me nightmares. Besides, I like the night. It’s quieter and then I can sleep through the day.”

“Hm. I’ll check on you after I finish up here.”

Before leaving, a thought occurred to her. 

“Say, what kind of stories do you like?”

“I like reading about bees.”

“Bees?” The nurse hadn’t been expecting that.

“Yeah,” The girl was chasing wrinkles with her finger and pushed her large glasses up her upturned nose. “They’re born all grown up and they start working in their jobs as soon as their wings are dry. The new bee is automatically accepted into the hive by her sisters, and they help each other out so everyone survives.”

“All those sisters, and no bathrooms,” the nurse mused.

“Ew! Bees don’t do that!”

“They don’t, do they? My, my, how times have changed.” She finished some notes. “I’ll see you later, if you’re still awake.” 

The nurse finished her rounds on the lonely floor. Only one other soul was awake and he gladly accepted the sedative. It was a long time before she made it make to the room with the odd girl, and by all appearances she was asleep. She took one last look at the file and decided she should go home after her shift. 

  
  


The door closed softly behind her as a rosie dawn crept behind the towers. 

“Well look who decided to come crawling back,” sneared a voice. “Your timing is a terrible as ever. I have to be at work in an hour and a half but I suppose I could accommodate you.” A tall blonde woman in a dark suit put her purse down on the granite countertop, unbuttoned her cream blouse, and pulled it back to reveal the ghostly marks on her neck. That swan-like neck that pulsed its siren call. The nurse nearly stepped forward, throat burning with thirst. 

“I didn't come home for that, Reenie.”

“Oh? Your little whore finally kick you out of her bed?”

“I told you there's no one! You're the one-!” She rubbed her temple. “Look, it's late-”

“Early.”

“Whatever. I don't want to fight. I just want to wash up, get some sleep and maybe we can talk this evening.”

Reenie covered up. “Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to make up? I don't have to put up with this. This isn't 1927 anymore. I don't need you. I can travel around the world in half a day.”

She’d lost count of how many times she’d heard those lines. Now she was numb to them. Instead she flipped the switch to close all the shuttered and curtains.

“Answer me!”

“Reenie, I don’t know what do say I haven’t said countless times before.” Lifting her top over her head, she despaired that she might only have a small sack for breakfast. It wouldn’t be near enough for all the skipping she’d been doing.

“Admit it! Admit you’d just here because you have to be!”

Anger pumped her heart faster, heated her skin, the perfume of blood tickled her nose teasing her hunger and causing her teeth to elongate, so the nurse turned away.

“I haven’t been home in weeks. I haven’t ask anything of you in I don’t know how long!” Maybe taking off her shoes would distract her teeth.

“Right, you tossed me aside!”

“I never-!” The room was starting to spin. A hand gripped her jaw.

“You’re disgusting.”

The nurse tried to turn away. “I-I can’t help it. You know that.” Her lap was trapped by warm thighs.

“Is that what you tell your whore? “I can’t help it, she’s never enough.””

“I’ve never cheated! Just friends! Just-!”

“Shut up. I’m agitated now. I’m giving you a quick shot, so I can get through the day.”

“I-I don’t need it.”

“Didn’t say you. I said  _ I  _ want it. You’re not ruining my day.”

“Fine. Say when.” Keeping her hands to herself, she faced her wife who pushed the shirt off one shoulder, and held onto the back of the couch, leaning her neck forward. The brunette pressed the teeth in, piercing the skin. The hot, thick pulse bloomed in her mouth and cleared the pain from behind her eyes. It was a life line. The only way she felt the beating of her own heart. As intoxicating as it was for her, it was just as strong for her partner(or least the thought). Strength increased, while thought was far away. There was movement against her hips, so her hands followed it over hills, and mounds, up curves, chasing satisfaction. 

A primitive instinct flashed through her. Vividly, she imaged throwing the woman onto her back and ravishing her while draining her until they were both sated. It was so life-like she could felt the velvet soft thigh  and taught skirt sandwiching her hand, and hear the passionate breath. 

“ _ Yes,”  _ she thought she heard. It might have been imagined. But her hair was yanked backwards, and her high was broken. That’s when she noticed they had moved closer, and she had one hand up her skirt and the other on the small of her back.

“Sorry.”

“An animal with no will. You’re pathetic.” Reenie slid off and straightened her clothes. 

“I know. Can we try to talk tonight? Not fight?”  

“Because you know you’ll lose.” Her wife took her purse, checking her phone.

“The only way I lose is if I don’t have you.”

“Liar! Don’t fuck with me, Zandy! Don’t you dare fuck with me!” The door slammed behind her.

“And that’s why we don’t have sex anymore,” Zandy sighed. 

 


	2. Heart Boners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two have a talk/fight, and Peri gets a prize.

That evening they talked, and fought. It was exhausting. Zandy was always tired now, not even fresh blood rejuvenated her for very long anymore.

They realized they couldn’t remember the last time they were happy.

“Maybe we should talk to someone.” Zandy was slouched over in her worn out chair.

“Brilliant,” scoffed Reenie, peeking through the curtains at the billions of lights. “Hi, we’ve been married for a couple centuries and I feel like a walking fuckable happy meal that she got bored of.

“Yeah, that’ll work out great. Then we’ll get signed up for years of therapy and strong drugs. Which they may not work on you, but I need my brain to keep the business afloat.”

The brunette chuckled.

“Oh, now what?!”

“I was just thinking, remembering really, how proud your mother would be of you.”

“That woman is dust now. I prefer her that way. She never approved of anything I did.”

“You’ve built an empire from nothing and held it together longer than some countries have existed. I think she’d be jealous. Even if you had a few close calls.”

“Don’t remind me. You lost the club.”

“It was time for a change. Things aren’t meant to last.”

“Tell that to the pyramids,” muttered the blonde, temper flaring up again.

“Look, I’ve been networking, keeping up with some people that found me in my clubs. I can put out the word and we can have someone to talk to.”

“Dear vamps, my tramp is throwing a fit. Please advise how to shut her up.”

“Is a divorce what you want?! Because I’ve tried everything. I gave you space, I tried talking, I tried vacations, I’ve tried handcuffs! I don’t know how to make you happy anymore! It feels like I’m alone here!”

Silence filled the chasm between them.

“I’m going to work. I think I’ll schedule some time with a therapist. I’ll let you know when it is.” 

She checked her watch, and stood up. There was a feeling the journey was over, and she was the only one still on the bus.

Reenie didn’t move, she didn’t say anything. Zandy didn’t know if that was for the best or not at this point anymore.

“Oh, do we have any books about bees? Seems like in the back of my mind we do.”

That puzzled her wife enough to turn her attention away from the window.

“What do you need with a book? Everything is digital now.”

“I know, but I met someone at the hospital. She doesn’t have much, so I’d thought I’d cheer her up. Give her something to do.”

“A kid?”

“Orphan, yeah. Death row.”

“Somethings don’t change. Books are in the basement.”

“Shit, I can’t get the dust on my scrubs. Maybe I can order something to be delivered to the hospital before my shift ends.”

“No, give me a minute. We might as well get rid of the things. You're the one that keeps them around.”

Zandy followed her wife down the bowing steps into the dimly lit basement. Tables held only dust and leather straps. The carpet was dotted with fur balls and brown specks. Under the stairs was the breaker labeled with peeling yellowed plastic, and a tub of bubble wrapped tomes of forgotten lore. 

“Well, I like books. They used to be the ultimate luxury.”

“Now they're outlawed for destroying carbon capture efforts.”

Dust flew up from the cracking lid. 

“To be perfectly honest, books weren't half the problem cups and wrapping paper. I don't know what happened. Seemingly over night people threw out books and newspapers for the internet. Tailor-made reality. It's gotten so ugly.” 

“Or maybe there are multiple realities.” While Zandy carefully unwrapped each bundle and re dressed them before setting them aside, the blonde was digging right to the bottom, picking up the occasional package to tear of the cover and toss it aside. 

“You can't have a man on the moon at the same that the government elaborately faked it in a studio.”

“And yet, they argued. For decades. 

“Hey, remember that guy that guy that was going to go to the moon using his phone and crowdfunding?”

“No.”

“Nearly drowned testing his suit, blamed the government and started a podcast about how the shadow government was trying to kill him for trying to reveal the truth.”

“One’s born every second.” When did they try canning the Yogi way? “Oh really!” She held up a book  Sex, Death, and Fly Fishing. 

“It was about the heart boner a man had for life!”

“I remember this stupid thing! You found it at a used book store and thought it was about a man murdered by having his penis wrapped up with fishing line so it died and poisoned his blood!”

“So we were both wrong.  Here.” From the bottom she pulled  Honeybee Democracy. 

“Do kids like stuff like that?” asked Zandy

“How the hell would I know? I haven't thought about kid stuff since I was one. She can rip it up for fun or eat it.”

“Kids don't eat books.” 

“They eat bugs.” She was quick to brush the grime off. 

“That's different. They're sanitized.”

“Clean bugs. Still sounds like an oxymoron.”

“You're hopeless.” Zandy was on the fifth creak when she turned and muttered a thank you. 

It was a bad night. Somehow she was considered a backup security nurse despite her waifish frame. She was called no less than four times to restrain seed zombies or sombies as the staff often called them. 

One vomited helpfully on her shoes. 

Never had she looked forward to her rounds more. This time she shared the room with the odd girl last. 

At first it looked like she was too late and the small girl had fallen asleep. So she went about her tasks with deathly silence. When she went to check the arms she noticed green eyes following her from crooked frames. 

“You're awake,” she smiled. “Trouble sleeping?”

“No,” yawned the girl. “I didn't think you were coming.” She shifted up in her bed. 

“Doesn't it say your P.M. nurse is Sandy?”

“Yeah, but you didn't come.”

“Forgive me. They give me the angry patients.”

“I'm not angry.”

Arms were turned over and examined.

“No, sweet patients like you are my reward. Now, I know you said you liked bees, so my wife found something for you. You don’t have to keep it. I know we don’t have the usual things kids like.” Out from her cart she produced the book, the girl held out a hand for it, but the nurse tsked. “You have to tell me your name first.”

“You have my chart. You know my name and I.D. number,” huffed the patient.

“That tells me what your legal name is. It doesn’t tell me what you like to be called.”

“Oh,” she studied her dry hands. “Peri, you can call me that.”

“Deal.” Nurse Sandy finally gave her the book.

“The honeybee demo-democracy.” The girl read before flipping through the pages. “This thing is ancient. There’s no text interface, no social boards for discussion. There’s not even an embedded audio file.”

“Uh, yeah. It’s called a book. I really liked them when I was your age. But I can understand if-” she moved like she was going to hide the gift, but Peri twisted away.

“I haven’t read it yet! You said it was a gift!”

“Yeah-yeah, but-”

“I have to read it to see if I like it or not.”

“Oh? Sounded like you already decided.”

“No, I was pointing out how inferior it is to modern technology.

“What’s lament-ted?”

“Lamented? It’s like you think sadly about something. Like lamenting that they’re out of your favorite ice cream.”

“Oh. Is your wife nice?” Her short nose was firmly planted in the book.

“Reenie? Oh…”Reenie was just Reenie. Over the centuries she had just become a force of life that could only be defined by those two syllabus she uttered at the peak of emotions. “She’s very nice. She likes to help people through law school, who can’t afford it.”

“Oh.” Peri turned a page.

“And what does that mean?”

“Well, you’re a nurse, that means you care about people, but you don’t get taken care of yourself. I was working on a theory that medical workers marry their patients, people they have to take care of, when they should marry people who care themselves and can do nice stuff for them.”

“Nice stuff like what?” She checked the nightstand drawer.

“I don’t know. Make breakfast, or something. Plan vacations. I’m sure adults do lots of stuff.” There was one word that needed squinting at to decode.

“Do you miss school?”

“Not really. I have a Digital Access Portal to work on my assignments and I can message my teacher with any questions. Not that I have any. It’s all very simple.” The last part was choked off. Peri’s eyes watered, and she began to rub them under her glasses in distress. 

“Hey, hey! What’s wrong?” Acting out of instinct the nurse sat on the bed and held her shoulder.

“It’s stupid!”

“Well, I married an idiot, so I like stupid. Tell me.” 

The girl was stifling sobs now.

“It’s just not fair! I know no one wants me, but why do I have to die now? I’m smart! I could do something! I could-could-!” She buried her face into Zandy’s breast letting go a flood of emotions. The nurse held her, and a chunk of pale hair came off with her pat.

“That’s it, let it out.” If only there was something she could do. No child should feel this hopeless and unloved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a personal note. It's my Uncle's birthday! Enjoy!


	3. Hard Like a Diamond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hear you like big women. The future has ships.

Zareen Zircon was a force to be reckoned with. The firm was named Diamond in honor of her mother years after her death. There was just no arguing that most people wanted a Diamond, not a Zircon to face the wolves. Little did anyone suspect the true nature of the seasoned attorney. Every twenty years or so, she’d move to a new office, renovate it, and change her name. 

The inventions of mobile cameras had made things tricky for a few decades. But people were more likely to dismiss what their eyes told them in favor of a simple, safe explanation. Still, she tried to resign herself to staying in the office and organizing finances, consulting, and teaching the fresh meat (as the interns were fondly called). 

Still, given enough time, even a dream job can turn into a nightmare.

“I’ve got Tokyo on line one,  Howlite chewing my ass on line three, and a family of New Mexicans ready to  use Jesus to shame me into a discount in my lobby! Where’s my Goddamn drink and cat?!”

Axinite, her personal secretary, was still on the phone with a panicking branch manager and hadn’t prepared the office for Zareen’s arrival. Having her mint tea and Mr. Pussy Pants was the only thing she came in to work for at this point. The days had melted into each other.

“Give me two minutes, Ms. Zircon!” Axinite hated being in charge of an over pampered billionaire with the temperament of a eighty six year old.  

“Two minutes?! Who has two minutes?! Give me that!” Snatching the phone from Axinite’s head she sent the assistant scurrying. “Five words.” She tapped her shoe, crossed, and held her hip. “Tell him he has today to straighten it out or he’s fired. I don’t care if he’s your brother, I told you, “Don’t do business with family.”....... “I would have sued my mother if she didn’t ban communication. Do it, or you can pack your terminated with him.”

She hung up, rubbing her nose.

“God! Why are people so stupid?! A, B, C. That’s how business and the law works.” Into her open hand slid her tea. 

“You’re right, Ms. Zircon. How was your night, Ms. Zircon?”

“Ack! Don’t get me started! Fifty thousand dollars and that bed still hurts my hips. Is that my fuzzball?” An over fed shag rug with blue eyes and a frowning face was heaved over to her. “Come to mommy! Aw!” She hugged the thing against its will, cradling it and cooing. “You’re the only one that understands. Gah! You smell like shit!” The cat was dropped.

“Yes, his appointment with the groomer is today at three.”

“Ew! I don’t want to walk in on a shit smelling cat! In the future, schedule him for before I come in.” Zareen finally took her chair at her desk.

Axinite briefly pressed her palms together and sent a prayer high that she didn’t have to change the appointment today.

“Yes, ma’am. Your eleven thirty canceled so I moved up your twelve, pushed back your one, and gave you an extra thirty minutes for lunch.”

“Great,” sighed Zareen who hadn’t bothered to look at her once and couldn’t care about half an hour  to do more nothing. “My lay was so disappointing. Schedule a session with Coral. See if you can get her here for lunch.”

“Yes, ma’am right away, ma’am,” a click of her heels and the petite woman was gone.

The CEO answered a few emails and turned on a cat video. 

Meanwhile, Axilite grumbled under her breath. Whatever the boss did in her free time was her business, but she resisted when office time was spent on petty luxurious. Coral in particular was a point of contention. 

Since the Diamond Firm was such a big client they got anything they wanted, but vocal confirmation was still required. Opening the phone she made the call and counted the hours until she had to deal with her. 

Coral was early. How she would never know. But the why was pretty clear. 

“Hey Blondie, how's the surf? Ready to come visit me? You know I’ll give you a good price. I can even do home visits. Your place or mine?”

“How about none? I have a boyfriend and-”

“Woah! I’m just talking business.”  Her pearl lock of hair flipped back. “And if he wants a hour, I’m game. I can even dig up an old boyfriend of mine. Went through a few before I decided ladies were for me.”

The appointment chime went off.

“Ms. Zircon is ready for you.”  She confirmed it to unlock the door where a  nude Zareen was impatiently waiting.

Once the door was closed and locked she went back to her files fuming over the whole thing.

“I’m not homo, you’re homo. Like any of  _ that _ has to do with work! Why can’t everyone just keep their shirts on?!

“I need a vacation.”

***

The end of the day was a conference with the interns. A short of extra class that was taught by current and former attorneys.  This time was Zareen’s turn.

Axilite thought nothing of it. Her boss was in a better mood after her massage and clean cat. Still, long after class was over she walked down and was nearly knocked over by sobbing intern.

Inside the room the boss was muttering about stuffing and checking the computer.

“What happened?”

“You’re off in half an hour, what are you doing down here?”

“LunaTerra sent a settlement. Thought you’d want to review it.”

“Great, tell someone else.”

“Why did that woman run out of here?”

The windows were switching from solar capture to privacy mode.

“Because some people have the vag to do the  work and others don’t. Business is just business. Your feelings don’t matter. At the end of the day a piece of paper and a robe decided your future.”

“That’s horrible!”

“That’s life.”

“No! That you told her that! Do we not work so people get a fair break? Don’t we speak for those with no voice?

“What about Zareen Mutra? You’re a descendant of her! She fought tirelessly for people who had be marginalized since humans figured out they could bang rocks together! She stood before the Supreme Court on eight separate occasions and won! 

“Do you think she would stand here today and say “feelings don’t matter”?!”

Zareen had stopped typing. She stood slowly, staring down her assistant, and in a slow voice replied, “That was a long time ago.”

“It still matters! She changed the laws so that everyone had a chance -!”

“Enough!”

People were starting to leave their stations.

“Don’t tell me what some dead woman would do.  The laws were changed, but people didn’t. So you go find a way to change people without a gun, or without threat of removal of freedom, and you can have the damn ribbons they gave me.

“Go home, Ax. I need to finish things up.”

The conversation was done. Axilite turned and left work while she still could. The lawyer watched the sun set over the tops of the building. Fiery oranges turned a sickly hue, pinks lost in panes of glass. The sky never turned dark anymore, just rusted like it was wearing out. She turned away, and closed her window. The screen saver was an ancient photo.  A seasoned team of lawyers standing on marble steps, hand in hand held high in victory. A woman in the middle had the biggest laughing smile. In her pocket a ring. She was a press conference and a car ride from finding the one person she wanted to share that moment with. A wild night that stood for the height of life was waiting for her, but first a speech for the nation, but mostly the only set of eyes she cared about.

It was the top of the world.

So what happened?

Zareen was sick of it. Sick of work, but didn’t want to go home. Friends had become a hassle. She was pretty sure the cat hated her.

“What’s even the point?”

There were no great mysteries. No great fights. All the world had turned to gray, and she saw naught but its diseases. 

Maybe there was movie she hadn’t seen. She went to the company gym until she sweated out her rage, before going home.

Her wife was smiling as she finished putting away the laundry.

“What the hell are you so happy about?” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her wife cheerful.

“Oh, Dottie. She actually understands that old book I gave her. She was talking about how organized bees were without an oral or written language, so she was trying to figure out a way to merge bee DNA with human DNA so- so-!” Zandy was laughing too hard to finish.

The blonde watched with mild confusion and annoyance.

“So what?” she all but snapped.

“Bee people! Like little zombees! 

“I told her I’d prefer winged people to brain eating ones. It took her a second to figure it out. She’s very bright for her age. Very bright, and very lonely. ”

“Yup. Life’s bitch. At least she has a fast pass out.” Sitting on the bed she took off her shoes.

“Yeah. You saw your masseuse today.”  

“Yes, I saw my masseuse today! What of it?!” 

“Nothing. I just noticed the oil fragrance.”

“Like I have report everything I do to you?!”

“No,” Zandy sighed. “I was hoping that meant you’d be in a better mood.”

“I was ‘til you started off with your nonsense.” Now she didn’t feel like undressing.

“I’m not trying to fight. I just want to talk. Actually, I wanted a favor.” 

“Oh good! She wants a favor!” This required a trip to the wet bar. “Which hole will you be using, or do you require to make your own?”

“Nothing like that,” The nurse rubbed the bridge of her nose over the clinking of ice cubes, “I wanted you to meet her.”

“Your whore?”

“Dottie!” It’s been a while since Zareen actually heard her wife get mad. “She feels alone in this world and she doesn’t have a lot of time. Even with the other kids, she can’t get along with them. It’s like she’s too smart or something. Just sit and talk with her. Half an hour, and then I owe you.”

“Owe me, huh? Like separate vacations?” asked Zareen has she poured her drink.

“If that’s what it takes.”

“Yeah, okay. I don’t want to be stuck in room with a kid. You have to be there. I don’t know what kids like these days. Vodka martinis?”

“They can’t drink. Law’s eighteen. You know that?” 

She threw it back.

“Meh, I quit the juvie circuit. Too political. When do I see the brat?”

“Saturday. I can’t bring you during my work hours.”

“Fine. I’ll go see what gifts they like.”

“Thank you, Reenie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like how contrasting the chapter is. Zareen is forced to see how the world changed her, and hates it/herself. And Zandy is feeling a little maternal. And Axie is a cutie. She's got a case of the, "I'm not gay"s.


	4. Relationships and Eternity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blonde and Blonde meet in a clash of personalities, and bees!!!!!

“So how are you today, Sandy?” The robed man put down his tea and opened the recorder.

“Well, it’s an anxious week versus the normal depressed. You know that kid I mentioned? I uh- I got my wife to agree to meet her. My hands are so clammy I could freeze meat.”

“And what is the source of your anxiety?”

“Well, the meeting. I really want it to go well. She’s such an amazing girl and it’s a shame how she’s left alone all day. I’ve listened to the other nurses; she unnerves them. There’s no stability in her life, and I just want to give that to her. But I’m just the night shift, I can’t be there that much.”

“So what do you hope from this meeting?”

Zandy cracked her fingers and tugged her sleeves.

“Oh, um… that Reenie sees what I see? She goes in so late and barely does anything. I don’t know why she couldn’t spend an hour a week visiting the kid.” A mood sphere hit her head and swirled with gray clouds, not that the therapist noticed.

“Can you control your wife?”

“Never,” she snorted.

“Can you control the meeting?”

“No?” She hated these questions.

“So let it go, Sandy. Breath with me.” As happened with every session he crossed his legs, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and brayed loud and long. It was the most ridiculous sight, but she tried to follow along each time. 

When her session was over she rushed out to meet her wife at the front of the building. The fresh blood gave her an energy boost, but she had to be careful not to waste it in the sunshine.

“How was your trip?”

“Cold. I think my heater is broken.” 

“Oh, didn’t you have it looked at a few months ago?”

She walked her guest to a back lift used by staff.

“I don’t know. I just let someone else handle it. Everything thing is so automatic, I barely feel like I do anything anymore. Where’s your gift?”

“We’re married, we share.”

“Oh yeah.”

“What did you get her?”

Shrugging, she lifted the bag. “It’s some virtual whatever. Honesty, I don’t understand it. Maybe it lets you see through time, or pants.”

“Remember toy stores?”

“I remember sex bars. So much silk and silicone.”

Zandy giggled behind her hand right as the doors open signalling arrival and the end of the UV cleanse. 

“Down here. I warned her you were coming. Be nice. Do you remember her name?”

“Patricia?”

“Peri! Her legal is Peridot, so I’ve been calling her Dottie in my head.”

Zareen took a second to study the sparkle in those pale aqua eyes framed by fine lines.

“You really like her, huh?”

At the door Zandy had already knocked and had no chance to reply before they were walking in. Peri was typing something up, various crude drawings hung in the air above her bed, the book was being held open with a stylus.

“Evening, Peri!” Not in scrubs, Zandy jumped at the chance to steal a seat on the bed.

“Nurse Sandy! I found a link between ancient male domin-pinated forums, four chan, and the pollen dance of European honey bees!

“Is that your child-wife?”

“That’s amazing! I can’t wait to hear it!

“Yes, this is my wife. Ms. Zircon.”

“Reenie, it’s easier to say, since quadrisyllabic words like, “dominated”, are tricky.”

The brunette shot her partner a look like, “What the hell are you thinking?!”

“Here. I got you a thing.”

The pastel bag was tossed on the bed, then Zareen walked over to the window seat to slouch. 

“Do I open it?” asked the child, not used to wrapped things.

“Yes, that way we can see how happy it makes you,” taught Zandy, who was doing a visual sweep while Peri peeled the plastic away to reveal a goggle set.

“Geez, thanks,” she said sarcastically, not even bothering to open it.

“What? That’s a pricey toy.” Zareen wasn’t used to not dazzling people.

“I can’t use it. I wear glasses for my farsightedness and stigmata.” 

“Astigmatism,” provided Zandy.

“Yeah, astigmatism.”

Leaning forward, the lawyer looked the kid over.

“Oh yeah, glasses. No one wears them anymore. Get laser, I did. Haven’t had a problem in seven-, seven years.”

“Reenie!”

“What?”

“The state isn’t going to pay for that. The law says I have to have a severe visual disability.”

“That sucks. See? If you told me that I could have sued the state and got her a laser treatment.” Shaking her head, she crossed her arms. “You really dropped the ball this time, Zands.” 

The nurse was hiding her face.

“What? It’s not like I could have gotten her a cure for cancer.”

“Reenie!”

“What? She knows.”

“I can’t believe-!” There was a tugging on her sleeve. Looking down it was Peri, looking calm.

“I know you’re trying to protect my feelings, but it’s okay. I know what I have, and what’s going to happen. One day I’ll go to sleep and never wake up.”

The room became silent. No one knew what to say. Peri fished something plush and round out of the bag.

“What’s this?”

Zareen shifted in her seat.

“Oh, I got bored and looked up cute stuff. I remembered you liked bees, or lesbians, something, and if you weren’t sick to Death with them, after Zandy got done with you, you might like it. I know it’s a little baby-ish, but I hadn’t dealt with kids since I was one. And that was a long time ago.”

“Thirty years isn’t long.” The round little bee was turned all around in her hands.

“You think I’m thirty?”

“Thirty two.”

“Hey! She is smart!” Zareen postured to her wife. “You said thirty eight. I’m young again!”

“What?” This went over the kid’s head, and the nurse just shook her head.

“Never mind, punk.”

“Punk? What does that mean?”

“Ignore her!” Someone needed to captain this train. “I told you she has a brain amoeba that eats her good ideas, and makes her spout out nonsense.”

“I can’t find that on the internet.” Taking an interface she plugged in the new data. 

“ You are a”

“But it starts with a p.”

“Reenie!”

“Young, beautiful Reenie,” she corrected, “Who’s showing off at the beach. Alone.”

“Alone? Oh, because Nurse Sandy has to work. You should go for a vacation. Even with the invention of day-glo lights, studies still support that the human brain hasn’t evolved to work efficiently at night. ”

The lawyer was laughing.

“She got you there!” 

Peri was lost again. 

“I don’t get it. Don’t you change shifts for your health?”

Zandy shifted, and patted the leg still under the blanket.

“No, Peri. I like the night. Things are quiet, and I can hear myself think. I hardly ever go out during the day.”

“Oh, me too. But I don’t have to worry about messing things up. Maybe you should take some time off to go to the caves of the Yucatán.”

“Do they have bees?” Zareen asked. 

“No, but the Aztecs…”

They kept a comfortable conversation until half an hour doubled itself, and the little girl was starting to nod off with the bee tucked under her arm. The diagrams had all been explained and a few had to be created on the spot as some terminology was new to the women. 

It was truly amazing how many things connected to bees. Citing a cafe reservation, they bid her goodbye, since she could hardly keep her eyes open. Ever the nurse, Zandy tucked her in and informed her of the next check in.

Back in the lift, it was decided the lawyer needed lunch. So to a cafe they went, one where the name Zircon pulled strings. Out of habitual spite, Zareen ordered a bloody steak, and Zandy sat with her light salad.  

“I need her case worker’s name.” There was never enough pepper.

“Who?” There was always too much salad.

“Per’s, I could make a donation to a fund, but who even knows if it’ll get to her. Direct is best. 

“You’re not even eating. Give me your radish.”

“Take it.” Spearing the discs, she help transfer them. “You know I can’t give her the name of her case worker. Against the law.”

“Ugh! What if, I’m a volunteer and Peri tells me?”

“Then I’m not in trouble.”

“Great! That’s what happened.” Sawing at the meat, she questioned her choice.

“Reenie, there’s no record of you volunteering, just visiting under supervision. It’ll look suspicious.” The pink fluid pooled on the plate beyond her’s, bubbling. She crammed a carrot in her mouth.

“You don’t even need that job! You haven’t needed to work in a hundred years. Besides, I’m the best lawyer around.”

“You haven’t been a defense lawyer in eighty seven years! Laws have changed. You’d have to go back to law school. You know I can’t risk jail! 

“Go in for a traffic violation, stay in a week, I could end up charged for involuntary manslaughter!”

Zareen rolled her eyes. “Your faith in me is overwhelming.”

“Oh, do be reasonable!” The iceberg lettuce taunted her with promises of gagging. “What are you even thinking of donating? Money won’t fix her problem.”

“It’ll fix her eyes. Discrimination! Clearly! Glasses are ancient, and cumbersome. My laser surgery was a dream. Haven’t had a problem since. She should see my gorgeous face in twenty/twenty.”

The iceberg had to be excavated to get to the spinach.

“So…… you’re going to see her again?”

“Didn’t I have to?” 

“No, the terms of the original agreement was just the one time.”

“Damn, I really need to get out those forms I made up for us. Where did I put them after everything when digital?”

“Maine. I think you left them in the Maine cottage.” 

“Stop playing with it like a horny teen and eat it! God! It’s so hard to take you out!”

“Sorry.” Zandy shrunk in her chair, her optimism fading.

“And you’re always sorry! You know what? I’ll just asked her directly! You can hide in a closet somewhere while the five year old-”

“Ten.”

“She’s ten?! Why is she so small?”

“She has cancer! It’s hard to grow when your blood is poisoning you!”

The steak was too big, so she threw half at it at the salad.

“Yeah, better get moving on that laser thing.”

“That’s your concern? Fixing her eyes? She doesn’t care about that! That little girl fell asleep with friends and is waking up alone, like she always has. No one to hug her, no one to fight for her. All those brilliant ideas are burning in her head and they hurt, because there’s no one that will spend ten minutes humoring her!”

“So what do you want me to do?!”

Flabbergasted, the brunette waved her arms helplessly.

“I don’t know! I just-! She’s so-!” She cradled her head. “I want her to be loved. I really do. That child should feel love in this life, and she’s never had it. I can’t ask someone to love her, but it would be nice if she had someone to care. I care, but I can’t be there more than a few minutes twice a week. Even on my days off, I can’t risk it. I’d need a fresh meal, and I can’t ask that of you.”

Zareen finished her glass, and gravely asked, “Why not?”

Confused about the source of her wife’s upset she asked, “Why what?”

“Why can’t you help for my help? I thought we were partners. Share and share alike? There’s supposed to be give and take. 

“You obviously care a great deal for her, so I should be supportive. It helps that she’s a charming, interesting kid. Kinda cute too. I can’t say I’ll fall in love, but we can help her out.

“I’m going to start a case against the state to make sure others like her have the same resources as anyone else. Maybe we’ll name it after her, and she’ll live forever that way.”

It was touching in a way that only Zareen knew, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to each across the table and touch her, but she was still so far away.

“Do you think- Do you think we can be there when she wakes up one of these days?”

“I do need to make up for that lousy gift.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeeaaahhhh, this marriage picked up some bad patterns.... me no likie, but that's life. Or the after life? Zandy fell into the mom role really naturally. It surprised me. Bees are gay. Pass it on.


	5. Like it Rough?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zareen is in a mood.

“Why couldn’t I have been a teacher? I could play with the kids all day and call a sub if I was sick.” Axilite had only been at work two minutes and had been accosted on all fronts with problems she was pretty sure  were her boss’s responsibility. Not that she was going to be in for a few more hours.

“Tens of thousands of hours in law school to do someone else’s job. I swear. One day I’m going to open a craft factory and send a teddy bear that reads-!”

“Reads what?” Several interfaces running in front of her, Zareen strode up from the lift, nearly scaring the poor woman to Death.

“Ms-Ms. Zircon!” Did time fly right past her?!

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out. Get a team together of our best in state rights and child’s law. I want a meeting in room marigold seven at half past eleven. Plan to be there.”

“Yes, ma’am. Should I attend that or your drink?”

“I can fix my own drink! Go, go! It’s not like I can keep track of everyone in this Goddamn company. Oh! And the state I want the the experts in is this one. 

“Why is there a cat in my chair?!”

****

Every Wednesday was Wacky. She could not see the point of it. The other patients were gathered in a waiting area, sat in a circle and given glue, feathers, potatoes and any other “wacky” things to express themselves and talk. 

There were a lot of younger kids who crafted with the help of their parent. There used to be an older boy she could talk to a little, but he was obsessed with some VR game and would fill their time talking in some alien language. Honestly, she preferred being her room waiting for a new roommate.

This week was some elementary chemistry craft making stress balls. Something to destroy when visitors left before the drugs kicked in to help them sleep through the night.

She’d been banned from the glitter after “lecturing” on the environmental impacts of the tiny plastics on the ecosystem. It wasn’t her fault the babies cried when the table was flipped in passion.

“Stupid table,” she muttered, marking out a morose face for her stress ball.  

One of the volunteers, from the medical school, looked down at her interface, frowned, and caught the attention of the others. There was something upsetting them. Not that the babies noticed. She leaned forward to try to hear their whispers.

“What are we looking for?” Someone whispered in her ear, shocking the daylights out of her and making her jerk out of her chair and half on the table. Hand over heart to calm it down she looked up at Nurse Sandy’s childish wife grinning proudly at the reaction she invoked. “Is that a new type of P.T.? Have to admit, I don’t keep up.”

“Don’t you know it’s rude to scare people like that?!” If her face was going to be red, it was going to be for rage.

“I simply asked a question. Not my fault if you’re trying to stick your stubby nose in other people’s business.” Still in her business suit she brushed some non-existent lint off her coat, and sat on a lounge behind Peri. 

“I was not! You’re the one sneaking up and scaring people!”

“Peridot! Keep your voice down, or you’ll have to have a time out.”

“Do I get out of doing this idiotic craft?”

“No.”

She grumbled and tried to fix the smudge, not noticing the attention her guest had garnered.

“So what are you working on, nerd?” Zareen leaned forward to see the mangled mess.

“I don’t know. It’s stupid.” Half the face was missing.

“Only if you make it stupid. Is it a cyclops?”

“I guess it is now.” Her favorite nurse was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s Nurse Sandy?”

“Um, probs sleeping. She does that during the day.”

“So why are you here?” she asked flatly. It was painfully clear the lawyer was only humoring her wife during her visit. She had no real interest in kids. 

“Can’t I volunteer out of the goodness of my heart?”

“You have a heart?” The most interest she had shown was fighting over ants vs bees and her own vanity.

“Hey, I’m suing the state for you.” There was a scrap of construction that the visitor twisted around into a bow and offered it. Peri tried it in several positions.

“You shouldn’t do that.” It made a good bow-tie.

“I thought you’d be happy!”

“I didn’t ask for it. Now your court case is going to waste resources that could be used for other kids to find families.”

Now that triggered something in Zareen. She lifted the pint-sized patient in the air so she could be a eye level with her. When a stern look she said, “hey, you matter,” and wouldn’t look away even with the high schoolers freaking out.

Peri was surprised, embarrassed, and getting upset with all these meaningless well wishers.  

“No, I don’t! I’m not going to get better and nobody cares! Now put me down!”

The attending nurse had called for backup and asked for their ward back, which she obliged, so that Peri could finally be returned to her room. Zareen also figured it’d be best if she left. But she had one more thing to say.

“Yo! Peri? Some ant species communicate through smells, alone because they’re blind. Stick that to your precious bees!”

An indigent “Why you!” could be heard before the child turned and stuck her tongue out and the waving lawyer.

***

It’d been years since she went home early. But there was just too much speeding through her brain. The meeting with the time had proved promising, and now she was chomping at the bit to get things going.

Sleeping in her own room, Zareen found her wife dressed in a loose dated dress she insisted on, so if something happened people wouldn’t know she was sleeping during the day.

Over the years she had experimented on the various methods that could rose the maid.

Today was the direct approach. 

Leaping like a crazed monkey, she screeched Zandy’s name before landing with a bounce on the bed, and then having her throat grabbed and pinned down. She didn’t even protest. Those predatory eyes were the only things she could trust. Soon they faded as her wife woke up, dazed and bewildered.

“Did I over-sleep?” The interface showed sticks strangely arranged in a way that made no sense to her panicked brain.

“No, I got back from volunteering. Might be my last time. They were a little annoyed. But hey, if they can pick up people, why can’t I?”

“This must be a dream.” Zandy rubbed her eyes and tore off her dress, then settled back in bed.

“She’s a tough nut, but I’ll crack her.”

“But the parrot can’t eat peanuts.”

“I know! God, I hated that thing. Expect when it would scream out random sex noises. That was gold.

“Any-hoo, she totally dropped the name of her case worker during normal, not guided conversation. But I got distracted thinking about fireplaces on the way back to the office, so I came here!”

“That’s nice.”

“I came here so you could remind me.” Zareen poked her shoulder in annoyance. 

“We don’t use keys any more. Ask Iris.”

“No, not the door! Peri! Caseworker? 

“Dottie? I think she needs some cheese and a sweater. But Apatite won’t return my messages.”

“Apatite, you say. Give me your interface.”

A wrist flopped up to Zandy’s hip. Briefly, she searched the emails to find one that gave her want she needed. Knowing her wife would be in legal trouble if anyone else got a hold of it, she copied the information in her own interface, then closed it to the last open page.

“Why are you looking up kid’s clothes?” But it feel on sleeping ears. 

In the dark room lit only by the two screens, filled only with soft dozing breaths, she found herself relaxing. It’d been so difficult to sleep without drugs for weeks. This came on naturally, with force.

“A quick nap wouldn’t hurt. It’s nearly five already. I’ll prep it all before dinner.”

So she closed her eyes and drifted off.

***

She was in the living room and Zareen’s dirty laundry was everywhere. She couldn’t find a single place in the house free of the scent of day old wife, and it had her fuming. The second the door opened she pounced, pinning the blonde to the door by her neck.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” She growled.

“Decorating the nest of course. It’s not like you can be a mother.”

Zandy threw her to the ground and stepped on her ass.

“You want your own space, but you leave your shit everywhere! You’re so irresponsible I don’t know why I put up with you!”

She kicked Zareen over and straddled her hips.

“You complain about my non-existence affair, but you’re the one seeing that masseuse!  Mean-while, I’m suppose to accept it all meekly, like a beaten bitch!”

Zareen panted beneath her, eyes shining with interest.

“Well, maybe you’re the bitch.”

The silence from her partner was new.

“Strip and hold onto the apple cart!”

Zareen did just that. Holding on to the worn handles of the apple cart next to the fountain, she bent her backside slightly.

Without warning Zandy reared back her hand and slapped the rounded flesh as hard as she could. Then again and again, letting out her pent up frustration. 

Her wife’s cries were of pain and pleasure, keeping hold while twisting in and out of position. The brunette clipped a leash to her collar, and tugged. But Zareen wouldn’t crawl until she was nearly choked. Then she followed to the sofa.

“Do you know how long it’s been since I had something?! Since I felt like I was part of this marriage? The business? I was great at it! We were a team! But then you started skiing with Janice and I felt like a third wheel.

Kneeling between her knees the blonde started to kiss the inside of her knees. It was cute. She cupped the flushing cheek and smiled.

“I don’t know where to put the crib.

“Besides, it’s never been one sided,” Taken her arms, she lifted Zareen into her lap. “It’s one and the same. I feel what you feel.” She ran hands over her curves as Zareen ground herself desperately against anything she could. “See?”

“Zandy, I’m so thirsty. So hungry. I haven’t had anything in seven hundred years. I was lost.” 

“Well, I told you to look at the map.” Fingertips traced the myriad of scars on those long limbs of her wife. Still as strong as when they met. “You’re stubborn.”

“If I had followed the roads I never would have found myself here with a cat.”

“That cat hates me.”

“Feed me!”

Blue eyes leaned right, yellow followed, and their mouths touched each other’s necks. No numbing lick, no gentle persuasion. Just teeth, tearing, and pain. The gush of metal and then the flood of tingling ecstasy. Together, as one, it flowed through them, even as legs and arms tangled to reach anything they could to get closer, to be that one thing!

Then the sheets tangled around her legs and she feel on the ground.

“God fucking damn it!”

The room was pitch black and the alarm was going off.  

“Who? Reenie?”

“No, it’s the second coming of Christ! Of course it’s me! You kicked me out of bed?!”

Rubbing her sores, Zandy went to help out.

“What were you doing in my bed? What are you even doing home?”

The sheets were wound up pretty good.

“I told you. I went to volunteer at the hospital and came home early. Not my fault you sleep like ninety five year old woman!”

They finally got her up and into the light.

“Okay,” Zandy acknowledged, still confused as to why she was in her bed. It’d been ages since they slept together. “Did you hit your hip?”

“Missed it. Barely.”  The blond held up her arm and a discovered a long thin line of blood. “Your dresser got me. I told you to move it.”

“Oh, bother. You sit down. I think the kit’s in the bathroom.”

“Hang the kit! It stings like a bastard. Just take care of it. And no funny stuff!”

Zareen had retreated to her heated massage chair. 

“I told you. I’m not doing anything.” There was a pounding behind her eyes. Hunger. Still she held the wrist that was offered and licked the broken flesh as neatly and quickly as possible. Over the years the flavor had not dulled, but her reaction had grown. 

“You have magic spit,” Zareen accused, inspecting the now healed arm. “You can use it to make people horny or sleepy.”

Zandy sighed and rubbed her face. “If I did, wouldn’t I be horny and sleepy all the time?”

“That’s what you say, but biting people wasn’t sexy until you started doing it to me!” Dinner had to be in the fridge somewhere.

“In my defense, the internet hadn’t been been invented yet. There’s a lot of kinks you didn’t know you had.” Since her wife gave up on finding dinner in the cold box, so she looked in the hidden second door for the last breakfast packet. “Have you been draining?”

“No, probably will tonight. I feel sore. Now I need to eat and get in touch with Apatite.” 

The mircowave always smelled of warm blood. It used to sicken her, now it blended in with everything else. She had a night of typing, vibrators, and a needle waiting for her.

Zandy popped her straw in the bag.

“Okay, I’ll swing by the lab and pick some up anyway.”

“And your whore? I bet she likes rough.”

“I keep saying, if I have been unfaithful may I contract the clap and die, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

“Whatever. I’m ordering pizza and then fucking myself.”

The nurse settled down at the table with her bag in a mug, and the news streaming.

“Have fun, dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That cat is a metaphor for pussy.  
> I shoved a lot of symbols in there. I love dream scenes.


	6. Raised

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are more than two ways to everything

The nurse was just pulling in, when three separate transports  arrived. Might be a accident. A good chance to grab a few extra bags of blood to hide in her lunch bag. The strong magnet sewed into the lining was all that was needed to disable the security device.

Sure, she wasn’t scheduled to work that department, but the staff didn’t turn down the extra set of hands.

It was some boys, bloodied, and shouting obscenities. Well, the two able. The third had his large intestines hanging from his bare torso, eyes unblinking, snarling, and spitting onto a shield. A seed zombie. He was only fifteen and couldn’t even feel the pain. He was ready to join the fight.

By the colors, she guessed they were rival gang members. Children that were turned out and raised by the streets, determined to spill blood on their mother. The one that already had, was seeding.

Clipping on her badge she shouted that she’d get the O stacks. Standard, as clearly time wasn’t on their side. Sure, she’ll be late, but no one really faulted her for her “bravery.” Angled so the camera couldn’t see the extra packets she picked up and slipped in her bag, she felt a twinge of guilt. This sort of thing wasn’t necessary any more. The only thing she could say if she was caught is she was selling it to satanist, or the insanity plea. Over the years her wife had gotten the answers for the test, not that interviews would hold that up.

Rushing down the hall she shook her head. It was better this way. It was nerve wracking when a site started acting off, and a new supplier had to be found. Every time was a gamble. The supply was constant, but the middle people were are risk. Who even thought to make the private buying of human blood without a medical license illegal? Actually, she did know. Years ago she started a case against the law, but things started to go screwy in her life and she never got back.

Life’s funny like that, she thought as she helped a nurse restrain a patient still trying to continue the fight. Just as she was about the grab his shoulders, he pulled something from his pants. There was a second where time slowed down. No one was quite sure what was happening as his arm came forward. Someone shouted, “GUN!” There was some gasps of shock and disbelief. The arm brushed Zandy’s, and she reacted without thought. She swept the arm up towards the ceiling, digging her nails into the opposite arm.

The patient might have cried out in pain. She didn’t notice. The world was narrowed down to the objective of getting the gun away from him. It tumbled from his hand as he attempted to stop his new pain. The officer that had come in grabbed it, then helped restrain the gang member, now howling protest to his captives. Once secured, Zandy stood back. The young man locked eyes with her.

“You! You mother fucker! I’ll fucking kill you! We are fucking Blud! We rule this fucking shit! Hear me? You a dead mother fucker!”  Struggling in his bounds like a wild tiger opened more wounds, it was clear sedation was their only option. But he was still hurl spit into face.

The E.D. had their feet under them once again, they didn’t need her. Someone did pass a towel to her, and gave her a pat on the back thanking her. 

Just another night.

Everyone kept flitting to the break room.  Usually that only happened during a “world crisis.” Zandy had lost track of all the great disasters. The world kept spinning. Her break time finally came, late as always, but still, a cup of coffee kept her going. She barely ate. Even her coworkers joked about it.

While she stirred the dark liquid she reflected on how such comments used to fill her with dread, and paranoia. Over the centuries she’s lived, only a handful had guessed her nature, and only three serious about exposing her.

Their faces floated to her mind as she leaned against the wall. A voice brought her back.

“Sandy! Earth to Sandy! You’re on T.V!” 

Looking up a reporter was explaining some submitted footage of the struggling gang members and the staff working to contain the situation. 

“The staff at St. Brigid did suffer minor injuries, and other members of those gangs were sent to the other hospitals in the surrounding area.

“Now police are still investigating what was the cause of this confrontation, but early reports are pointing to a drug deal gone bad, when one gang member was attacked. Police are still refusing to comment on this, however this is still an active investigation so the streets are closed. 

“For those unfamiliar, the city has been dealing with an influx of artifical drugs that are technically legal for sell, and use. The market of these drugs has largely been handled with several gangs that are rumored to be linked to over border mafias. The main culprits are-”

“Turn that off!” scowled Nurse Sandy. “You people are always looking for the next disaster! Why can’t we focused on all the things global warming didn’t change. 

“Morgan, how’s your step-son?”

“Still an ass like his father.

“Come on, Zircon. This shit is coming in everyday and it’s killing. Maybe if more people know it’ll end.”

The night nurse stood straight, and walked out, taking her drink with her leaving the group in confused silence.

She finished her coffee in a stairwell, sometimes the faces blurred, names mixed. It became overwhelming. All the worried whispers of war compacted into a wall of white noise. 

“Pointless,” she spat. Use to when things felt this way she’d go to Reenie and plan. Houses, gardens, clubs. Something that was theirs and would out last the whispers. But now they barely spent weekends together. It stung that her wife wanted separate vacations. Maybe that counselor will help.

Even going through her rounds double time didn’t help regain what she lost. It was an hour before sun up when she finished. Still she snuck up to pediatrics to check on her girl.

Curled up in a little ball, Peri was bending her glasses out of shape and drooling on her new bee toy. She looked half her age. The room had a chill, so she upped the temperate, and replaced half kicked off sheet. When she went to remove the glasses, the child jerked up, batting her arms around.

“You’re after my robot bees!”

Zandy stood back and waited for the girl to calm down. Her head whipped around before settling on the nurse and relaxing her shoulders.

“Are you real?”

“Of course I am,” smiled the nurse.

“I thought they wouldn’t let you back after what happened.” She pulled the sheet back on.

Zandy furrowed her brows. “What happened?”

“Your wife came and picked me up into the air. The staff was very upset. I still want an apology. I am not a baby.”

There was that cold sweat thing.

“She picked you up and called you a baby?!”

“No! She picked me up like a baby. Not my fault I can’t gain weight.”

“I’m so sorry! She’s apologizing right now!” Keeping her call on private, she rang up her wife.

“What did you do?!”

Zareen, who was in the middle of sleeping did not understand.

“What did you do when you came to visit Peri?!”

Peri took out her interface to check a few things. There was a layer of flaxen locks on her pillow. There was a new assignment in her class. A novel to read. So easy.

“So? You still shouldn’t have picked her up. She’s not an infant!”

Who even uses audio files?

“Yes, she’s here. Are you going to do it right?”

So much faster to just read it.

“Do it right!”

Why are you even married if you just yell all the time.

“Here, Reenie has something to say to you.”

The call was made public.

“I’m s-”

“Suck it you immature, overgrown clod. I have no interest in jerks that do whatever they want without thinking about others and have to have their wife yell at them to do the right thing.”

Why wasn’t the library loading?

“Cheeky thing. How about you admit you’re wrong, and I’ll apologize for my indiscretion?”

“I’m not wrong. I’m rarely wrong.”

“Peri,” Zandy said gently, “We’re just worried about you. You don’t seem happy. It’s easy to try to act grown up by spouting facts and pretending you’re not scared, but that’s not good for your brain.” 

“Don’t pretend you know how I should feel!”

“We’re not. We don’t know how it is to be you, so tell us.”

A torrent of emotions bubbled over the girl’s features, and erupted in shouting. 

“Get out! You’re stupid! Out!”

“Okay, okay. I’ll let you sleep. But if you feel like telling someone, write it out. Then it’s not stuck in your head all the time. If you want you can share it.”  

She left the fuming child before more shouting could occur.

The nurses at the desk looked at her with sympathy. Leaving with a nod, Zandy took to the stairs and addressed her wife.

“Why can’t you slow down and think about how other people feel?”

“Because I don’t care?”

The slap echoed up the cement tower.

“Maybe you should!”

“Why? Everyone dies. She’s going faster than most and gets to know it.”

“Well, what if she didn’t have to.”

“....what?”

“Never mind, we have an appointment Thursday evening.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is subtle. I feel like a grown up writer. Coming up next, sexy counseling!


	7. Restart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ladies see a doctor and Peri gets ready for a haircut!

It was the better part of town. The warm colors and rich foliage tricked you into forgetting that you were in a windowless basement. The nurse was admiring a fountain when her wife came in from work.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“You’re on time. I came in early for signatures.”

“I got dinner riding, this guy’s a vamp.” 

“Does that matter?” Sighed the nurse. 

“Yes! What if he's one of those, “human cows” type that make me shut up and sit on the floor?” 

Zandy rolled her eyes. “I very much doubt any money can be found for a family counselor that's prejudiced against ninety nine percent of the population.”

“You and I both know there are plenty that don't work for the money,” she scowled at a blooming cactus painting. 

They were called back, and took seats on opposite ends of a couch. Mall grade incense fogged the room, and the various crystals hanging from fishing lines from the ceiling tiles. 

The counselor was a stocky man with twin streaks of snow from his temples a point behind his raven hair, almost touching. Nothing of his outward manner betrayed him, but Zareen felt his eyes the second they walked into the room. Her heart pumped faster in his presence.

“Evening ladies, I hear there are some problems in paradise.”

“Yes, hurricane adjacent.” The blonde crossed her legs and bounced her pump.

“And you are-?”

“Not for dinner, you overgrown mosquito.”

Zandra crossed her ankles and twisted her wedding ring. 

“Reenie, he’s a professional.”

“Professional-”

“Reenie! This is my partner Reenie, and sire. I’m Sandy.”

A clipboard across his lap was scribbled on.

“Now, now, Sandy. Unless, the two of you have some arrangement, I doubt your partner feels respected or heard when interrupted. Please, continue.”

“Neck sucker. And yes, it infuriates me! I get hot flashes of rage! Why does she think she has a right to censor me?! Control me?! I wear the ropes in bed, but that doesn’t mean I’m a dog she can leash in public!”

Her wife cradled her head over her knees.

“I’m hearing that you feel like Sandy wants to control you when she interrupts.”

“Yes. I deserve to say whatever I want! I’m older than hell, and everyone forgets. I wish she’d just calm down.” The fabric darkened under her clawing nails.

“Sandy, what do you hear Reenie saying?”

“Um,” there was never anything under her nails anymore since working in the hospital. “I hear-I hear she-”

“Talk to her.”

“I hear that you, Reenie, are mad. But you don’t respect situations. I’m worried about being exposed.”

“Like anyone cares anymore,” snorted the lawyer.

The leather creaked under the shift.

“You mentioned that you suffer anxiety, Sandy. How do you feel it affects you?”

“Honestly, most of the time I don’t know what’s me, and what’s the condition. Exposure is the big source, but so is the future, and my wife herself.  We’re always fighting.”

“Reenie? Have you anything to say?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact.” Zareen uncrossed her legs and sat up a little straighter. “I’ve been supportive. I made sure she found and kept doctors, her medicine. I’ve listened, I gave up my bike. I’ve done everything she asked! She doesn’t even have to work anymore. I’ve hired the best accountants, and go in everyday to make sure we have support.

“But no! She insists that she works! It’s because she’s tired of me!”

“What?!” Zandra looked in shock at her wife. “I’d  _ never  _ tire of you! I work so you don’t feel pressured to! Running a law firm, teaching, court appearances; it’s stressful! I know it is! I didn’t want you to feel trapped after I lost the clubs!”

“Anytime I needed a break I took a vacation. You’re the one at risk!”

“Ladies! Ladies,” soothed the therapist. “We’re yelling. Take a breath.”

The nurse wheezed. The lawyer snorted.

“Now, I hear a lot of love in here. Reenie, you work because you’re worried about Sandy’s condition. Is that correct?”

“Partly.” She crossed her arms like a pouting child.

“And Sandy, you work so that Reenie doesn’t feel pressured to work. Yes?”

“In part.”

“Now,” he brought his fingers to his nose, “in all this thinking of the other person, did either one of you ask if this is want the other wanted?”

There was a lost of history for both to sort through, but neither could remember a conversation, just bickering, sniping, and arguments.

He nodded. “A lack of communication. Assumptions make asses of you and me.”

Begrudgingly, the ladies had to admit to themselves that there were a fair bit of decisions made that affected them both, but the other’s thoughts had been assumed. After so many years of marriage, it’s like having the other in your head. Makes it easy.

“So, since communication is what’s lacking. Let’s rebuild that bridge. So your homework is going to be find a way of increasing communication. Text, email, letter writing, a home journal. Find a way to personalize it and make it yours.

“Was there any other points you wanted to discuss today?”

“Um, yes, Dr. Kunzite.” The nurse shifted in her seat, “about-about intimacy. Should we-? Or with-? What-?”

“I’m starting to understand the communication thing,” mused Zareen.

“A date night? I don’t know about adding people to this process at this time.” The doctor scribbled some more. While both women looked at him funny. “You were referring to sex and/or meals, correct?”

Back to worrying her ring, Zandy stared at her lap.

“Yeah, we haven’t been to the store in a while. Worse we got was that bout of pneumonia I got. She had to make a run to a blood bank, because I couldn’t produce enough for two.”

“Produce? I’m a touched confused.”

“What are you saying?” Now Zandy was confused, and embarrassed.  “Do you have a turned partner?”

“That’s neither here nor there.”

“I thought I was normal. So not everyone becomes a bloody cow?”

Dr. Kunzite touched the corner of his glasses. 

“You produce blood, instead of losing it. How interesting.”

“Hey! Hey!” Zareen pointed a finger in accusation. “No munching me with your eyes!”

“Back to your previous query.  That’s something to be discussed with your partner. If you both feel a date night is in order, you can discuss the hows, and whens, and whats. Might be a good first exercise. I do suggest getting out of the house. It can contribute to the stagnation feeling.”

“We could buy a new house,” offered Zareen, fighting the urge to check her interface.

“But basements are hard to find,” moaned the nurse.

The session wrapped up pretty quick after that. Zareen was scrolling through writing templates.

“I’m not really a book person. I think it’d just sit there and get ignored, like my emails. We could try-”

“I want sex!”

It was an odd outburst for being in the middle of a parking lot. It stopped Zareen in her tracks, “sticky notes. What?”

Zandra ran her fingers through her mop of hair. 

“No. I mean, yes! A date night! A proper, have fun, go home, done date night! A chance to hit the reset button!”

“With sex?” Her eyes darted to the surrounding bushes.

“Well… yes. Yes, with sex. Because-! Because-! We just feel so far apart!”  Her fangs were starting to show.

“Okay, alright,” Zareen took her wife by the shoulders to get her into the car, that way she could worry the leather and not her own lip. “A date night. Dust off the lube tube and call the babysitter. Tell you what, your idea, you plan it. Out, in, short, long. You just tell me what time to be home and I’ll be there with as much or as little as I feel like. Sound fair?”

She mulled it over. “What if I pick something you don’t like?”

“Then I’ll complain after, and we’ll have a do over.”

The nursed rubbed her neck.

“Okay. So we’ll do it over until we get it right?” A delicate bud sprung forth in her heart.

“I mean, got nothing better to do. Guess I could go for a world record for donating blood. Plus, how would I even divorce you. We never updated our license.”

“Two thousand fifteen. Wow! It was forever ago! Remember how we celebrated?”

“Well, you wanted to go to the bar and make out in the backroom.”

“How was I supposed to know you wanted to go to the registrar?! We’d been married for decades already.”

“Not legally. I told you I wanted it legal to bind your fine ass.”

Zandy snorted and shook her head. 

“Consensual bondage was never illegal.”

“The law and you, my two great loves.” She said it like she lost both.

The light turned red.

“What happened to us, Reenie?”

“I don’t know.”

 

*****

_ Today is the day I quit. No more bullshit. No more playing middle woman. I’m going to stand up, walk right up to her face and-! _

“Ax, why are standing with your fists in the air?” The multiple interfaces were accompanied with a drive thru drink. Though how she saw anything without looking about was unnerving. “I have to leave on time tonight. No exceptions. This place starts to burn, it’s your problem after five. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am. You look younger today, ma’am.” Like always she took her notes with her into the office.

“Bull shit. Oh, and get the pretty people for me later.” The cat was pushed off her chair without looking away from a text wall.

“The Pretty People?”

The boss lounged back, crossing her stocking covered legs.

“The people that make me pretty. Even a diamond needs a good polish every once and awhile. Right?” That raised eyebrow left no room for discuss.

“S-sure! Um, hair, makeup,” Axinite listed. “Waxer? Fitter? Dental?”

“Hmm...Should I wax? I kinda vowed never again. It’s just so much work. No. Maybe for a big anniversary. Tell what’s her face to keep tomorrow open. I don’t have much hope.”

Axinite’s shoulders sagged.

“Coral?”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. Something first thing. We can always cancel later.”

Notes were being jotted down.

“Meeting with a new client, ma’am?”

“Nope,” Zareen was typing something on her workstation, “Date with my wife.”

“Oh?” She’d long suspected that trouble at home made for trouble at work. Maybe there would be a change. Maybe things would get better. Maybe-

“I’ll be optimistic and start the cranberries today. Get me some pills and bring me slightly sweeten cranberry juice every hour and half.

“Ma’am?”

“What?”

“What is the cranberry for?”

Zareen finally looked up from her interfaces and looked long and hard at her assistance.

“You poor thing. Not getting it from that boyfriend of yours. Or ever it sounds like. I keep forgetting my exploits have been far from average. How I weep at all lives gone by who never knew the sheer bliss as I have.” 

The drowning confusing feeling was coming back.

“Ma’am?”

“It’s okay. Maybe when you’re old enough, and not under my employ, I’ll tell you about the rubber chicken, the champagne, and the motorcycle. Zounds!” A fit came over the boss a cacophony of shudders, lip biting, thighs tensing, and eyes closing. “I need ten-you know! No! I’m going to save it for tonight! I’m going to save it all!

“Where’s the stupid cat, and my first draft?!”

After taking care of the morning calls, Axilite sat stiffly in her chair. She wasn’t really thinking, nor was she moving. The confusion course through her veins and became her.  She picked out a user from her contact list.

“Dr. Ruth? It’s me. No, I don’t need an appointment. How do I know if I orgasm?” She listened. “Oh..ah. Hmm, okay. I’ll do that. Thank you.” Then her legs pulled forward, she slipped away. Crouching under her transparent desk, she held her head and screamed for the camera.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS WHAT ANY MORE!!”

The rest of the day she flinched anytime someone spoke to her.  The line of beauty technicians after lunch was torture. By the time five rolled around she was but a quivering husk of assistant. The wind from the door opening nearly sent her sailing.

“Finally! When did the work day get so long? I’m going to be out on the eighth to talk to the district attorney, publicity stunt.

“Walk with me!” Zareen demanded entering the lift. “I need you to get the board together for meeting with Guangdong’s northern branch. We need to finalize the second quarter acquisition of STAAR’s new factory. Don’t settle for anything more than seventy-five percent of the asking price. The place is a health risk and it’ll take almost that much just to bring it up to code.” The boss put away her interfaces, and smeared on a scarlet lipstick right before the doors opened to the ground floor.

“Yes, ma’am. Anything else ma’am?”

“Yeah.” Exiting, Zareen turned on her heel to look back. “Don’t dump the chump just because he’s a poor pump. May you know your own rubber chicken.”

“Um, thank you? Ma’am! I’ll remember that, Ms. Zircon. Have a wonder night, ma’am!”

“If I don’t, I’ll have a wonderful morning,” She promised, sliding on her oversized sunglasses before waving at the offices with people packing up for the day.

Self-driving cars were a God-send. Really reduced the number of drunk driving deaths, and the boredom rush hour created. A lot of work and/or daydreaming can get done when all you have to do is nurse the brake.

“I do so hope this is more than a over salted pasta, oral, and a bubble bath.

“Fuck! We did she turn into such a panty waste?!”

_ “Reenie,” called her mistress, poised with a riding crop across her thighs, a leash draped over neck, adorned with a leather choker and an aqua jewel and pushed up bosom, “You’re late.” She ran cold, so the chair was set so close to the fire the fabric singed so she smelled of smoke. _

_ “Sorry.” The clothes had to go, but mistress didn’t like her messes, so they were removed and folded in order, before she knelt down on the thick rug. _

_ “Where’s your collar?” _

_ She touched the exposed feeling strip on her neck. “The clasp rusted off this morning.” _

_ “And you went off without it?” _

_ “You were sleeping. I thought a good puppy let masters sleep.” _

_ Zandra stood and ran her finger tips over the sensitive flesh as she walked behind, it sent shivers down her spine. _

_ “I suppose the conditioning doesn’t save the metal. It can’t be helped.”  _

_ A buttery soft, warm strip so much like her own was wrapped around her throat. It was oddly thrilling, only memory told her that the band was the color of night instead of fresh ivory, and the jewel that hang from it wasn’t canary.  _

_ “I now feel oddly naked, but can’t have someone showing up  to take my bitch away.” Reenie nuzzled into a hand raking through her hair. “Now, I should teach you not to be late, but today we have to take you to the vet.” _

_ “Such a good master.” The leash was looped under and over the choker, but since sore knees weren’t a turn on, the blonde followed on bare feet to a padded table she then crouched on. “Always thinking of my health, and well being.” The latex gloves were given a snap.  _

_ “Open up, puppy.” _

_ Reenie barred her teeth. Gums, eyes, nose, ears, spine, all inspected closely. _

_ “Good girl. On your back.” _

_ “Do I get a treat after?” The vinyl stuck to her skin as she flipped over, keeping her feet up and knees bent. _

_ “Depends.”  Zandy pressed her palms into her abdomen in several places.  _

_ “I was good!” Reenie whined. “I stayed home during my heat, and my preheat, and post heat.” _

_ “But that ass of yours stays high. I don’t feel any puppies, but chemical changes manifest first. Up, knees apart.” _

_ The puppy tittered, this was the best part of going to the vet. _

_ “Need to check weight.” What? A cold surface was pressed to her breast and held a few seconds leave a chill that burned. “An increased weight.” _

_ Reenie didn’t point out that there was no previous data to compare to, unless.. _

_ “Oh please tell me you did stuff to me while I was sleep! Please! Please Please!” A gloved hand milked her teats one at a time. A finger was pushed into the nipples until Reenie swore she could feel it on her ribs.  _

_ “I always pet my adorable little puppy,” Zandy soothed, seeming finished.  _

_ “But do you play with your sexy wife?” _

_ “Puppies shouldn’t ask such questions.”  She bented over and brought up breasts pumps that were primed with a golden oil. Cinnamon’s spice, a round peach, and a few other perfumes she couldn’t name caressed her nose. _

_ “Breaking out the goddess lube, huh?” _

_ “It’s more than just lube, plus it really cuts down on inflammation and fuck funk. You do get it every once and awhile.” The pumps were affixed to Reenie's breasts and turned on to not much more than a wafting breeze. _

_ “Aphrodite never created a pussy oil. Why do we put her everywhere? Moroccan sex goddess for the win. She even drove dudes insane with her boobs.” The gloves pressed up on her pelvis, forcing her knees to the edge of the table. _

_ “One could argue she was a rare homosexual sex goddess. Or a murderous troll.  Either way, I knew she was your style.” _

_ A slick finger circled the border of pleasure and pain, stoking the flames of need. _

_ “Naked, gorgeous, leading assholes to their death. Yeah, but she’s missing a few things. Oh, yes!” She hissed as the fingers pushed in her gaping hole. “Fuck me!” _

_ “I don’t fuck puppies. Puppies need taking care of, but we do need to check your endurance.”  _

_ Reenie had no idea what that meant. It both thrilled and terrified her. Her mistress returned with a rubber chicken and a strap on. _

_ “You remember your safe word?” _

Cyan, red, purple raced over her house, breaking her from her pleasant memory.

“Goddammit! Stupid crazy lady neighbor! She’s got half the block barricaded off.” 

It forced her to take control to find a spot to park and try to get around the police, and the ambulance. Ambulance?

“Maybe she faked a heart attack.”

Around the corner her eyes fell on her house automatically, but it looked so foreign with the door wide open hanging on one hinge, profanities and threats spray painted over the windows, and emergency personal going in and out like it was a coffee shop. 

Her shoes went on automatic, storming past the tape, cars and a few officers that shouted after her until one stood in front of her and refused to move aside.

“Where is she?! Where’s my wife?!”

“Ma’am you need to calm down, this is an active-”

“Get me to my wife, or no divine power will save anything here!” Her heart was pounding in her ears, she could feel her fangs extend. 

“Joe! Take her to the cart!” Shouted some officer typing and recording near his car. The officer blocking Zareen walked her over to an ambulance with an open back. The lawyer was ready to strangle someone. Her rage pricked at her eyes, her vision tried to blur. When she saw her wife sitting on the bumper, ashy, and talking to a detective, she ran the remainder to meet Zandy’s embrace.  Zareen nearly crushed her trying to will the terror and rage that thundered in her breast.

“Alright, I’ll contact you if we hear anything or if we need any from you, Ms. Zircon. Try to put this behind you. Stay in a motel and think of it as a mini vacation.” The detective saluted them off.

“Reenie?” she whispered in a voice so thin, and feeble. “I was so scared!” The hitching of her shoulders betrayed the tears. Zareen wanted to pay those tears with the blood of the responsible.

“What happened?!”

“They-they- There was a bang. I thought it was the AC exploding. I came out and saw the door half off! I-I- to the basement- and-!”

A lanky youth was being pushed out in handcuffs. The lawyer had a target. Like a tiger with fangs thirsty for meat, she faced her foe.

“Hey mumble crusting, dew-beating, miserable ass curtain! Hope you enjoyed algebra because the only math your going to be doing for the rest of your life is how many fucks it takes before the number beatings reduce!  You’ll count the cups of blood you’ll be pissing out your-”

“Reenie.” It was barely heard over the noise, but she did when no one else did. So she stopped and went back to her wife’s side, taking her hand and listening to the professionals.

It was still hours of Zandy shaking, and deathly cold before they’re house was cleared. Not all of the gangsters were apprehended, so some their personal property was still missing. The police assured them that this way just retaliation, officers would patrol the area regularly, and the profile of this group meant that they were more interested in a quick pawn than removing the tracking information.

None of that helped. Their house was taken. Safety stolen. Even when they could call someone to restore their door, hinges replaced, every moving shadow was sinister. The glass was cleaned, prints taken, but it wasn’t even as welcoming when they walked through it empty at night.

“I’m going to increase security! We’re getting a custom fridge, and those punks will never see the light of day! If I have to work the case myself-!” A hand touched her sleeve, stilling her. Then hard, cold lips smashed into her’s, desperate. She pulled the form closer determined to rid any distance between them. Only want of oxygen  broke them apart.

They  _ needed _ this. Holding hands they went into the butter colored room, not bothering with clothes before they were grasping anything to hold the other closer. Lips back on the hunt for flesh. They fell back on the bed. Kisses turning into licks and bites. The twin pair of fangs hit each other and delicate tissue, blood swelled to the surface and was smeared making a mess of them both. 

At some point clothes were cast aside, half torn in desperation. In the fevered frenzy  flesh melted into flesh, blood became shared. It wasn’t passion they created, it was terror they banished as much from the other than from themselves. When limbs were too weak to continue, they collapse into a sated tangle of limbs and shared fluids.

*****

The room was always cold, even the socks and sweater they gave her didn’t keep the chill off. The bee kinda helped. It reflected heat. That’s why she snuggled it. No other reason. It was banished to the end of the bed at the moment for being childish. She paused entering her answers to give it a glare again. It had a tiny smile that often hid. 

Her scalp itched, a few strands fell as she scratched.

“Peri!” Sang a nurse who barely knocked, “It’s time! Aren’t you excited?” The wheelchair was pushed in. “A whole new haircut! You are going to have fresh style for miles.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a tricky trick thing. I was going for that feeling of going down stairs and your foot is in the air to long and you think you're going to die.   
> What, oh, what did Zandy do with that chicken?


	8. Wet Pussies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is that mysterious person, and how does he know how to shatter a diamond?

It was the wee hours of the morning when they woke up cramped, cold and filthy.

Zandy knew her wife had a triple wide shower, but she had never used it. Since getting separate bedrooms they just kept to their own bathrooms. Reenie got up with her complaints of her neck and the bed, shuffling to her bathroom. The brunette had something strange in her hair, so she made to leave.

“Where are you going? Shower’s over here. Last month’s water bill was outrageous! It’s recycled piss! I thought it was going to be free!” The blonde had the jets steaming before her wife could tip toe inside.  It’d been a while but it was still the overly organized palace she remembered.

“Hurry up! I’m getting cold, and your hair needs scrubbing.” The floor was textured so it felt like walking on a beach.

“I bet you still shower at night. I need it to wake up.” Zandy’s scalp was lathered and rubbed down. “We should go out for breakfast. A coffee shop. Then you can stay in my office. There’s a cat. Just kick it. It sleeps all day. Not sure why I got the stupid thing.”

“You found it in the patch of bluebells, that’s why you call her Bluebell. Vet said she wouldn’t make it, but you took care of her in the office, and I stayed home at night.”

“Oh yeah! Kinda missed having a cute pussy laying around and sleeping all day.”

The color in Zandy’s cheeks were purely from the water.

“I-I don’t really want to stay home today. I’ll just end up in the basement again.” Arms, strong and warm wrapped around her like a bullet proof vest.

“You can stay in the office as long as you like. I’ll get someone here tonight. I’m sure there’s been some changes in the last fifty years.”

The shower was warm, comfortable, safe. Zandy could pretend the world outside didn’t exist. Reenie half thought of staying home, but worried about the effects on her wife. After a breakfast at a old coffee shop, they went to the office so the nurse could get settled in for the day.

When the assistant saw them, she rushed to Zandy with tears of relief in her eyes.

“Mrs. Zircon! I’ve missed you so much!”

“Hey, I’m the boss around here. She only owns fifty percent!”  Zareen checked under the desk, before taking her drink with her into the office.

“Please! Please! _ Please,  _ say you’re staying,” begged Axilite, unaware of how uncomfortable her clinging made the other.

“Um, y-yes. Maybe for the day.”

Axilite’s tears turned to those of joy. She could kiss Mrs. Zircon’s feet.

“Thank you! Oh, thank you! I’ll bring you anything you need! Anything you want!”

“Um, thank you. I’m sure Reenie needs you.” She tried to shuffle away. She did have a nice cup of coffee to work on, since she didn’t feel like sleeping.

“Oh, yeah.”

“Ax! The cat puked on rug again!” 

A shudder ran through the woman, who saw a sympathetic look from the absentee bride. 

Since the exacting standards of Diamond law firm demanded more than just a spot clean in a public area, that left the couple alone for a while. Zareen answered emails, and Zandra sipped her coffee in the shade, looking down on the city. Remembering when was a blink-and-you-miss-it town with one gas station and no grocery store. Her interface buzzed. It was work.

“Hello? I’m-I’m okay. Trouble sleeping.”

Zareen perked an ear up.

“You did? It is?! Oh lord!” she groaned into her hand. “Yes, I’m fine. It was-just very sudden. I hid in the basement and let the security system handle it. The police were very professional. No one was hurt, and they say most of the items can be recovered.”

The lawyer brought up the local news, and a gif of police cars parked in front of her house the previous night. 

“Yes, I want to work tonight. But, I might not have the energy for a full shift. Maybe an hour or two early?”

A quick cease and decease letter was auto-filled and sent to each and every reporting station. Not for herself. Publicity was a raw blade she could hone and point into the right decision. 

“A half shift?! But, that would increase everyone workload!”

Only the small reporters took it down immediately.

“Really? I guess it is a bit of a lull. Oh, okay, but if anyone needs me to stay I can. A thing like this shouldn’t change my life.”

Since her wife like to hide, she racked her brain for something to order for lunch that would put a smile on her face. 

“Reenie.” 

How did she feel about thai food again?

“Reenie!”

“Huh? What?”

“I'm working a half shift tonight, off all goes well. I can't believe they put that stuff on the news. We own that house. How can they park their cameras in front of it and broadcast that to the world?”

“They can't. I sent out some friendly reminders and by tomorrow they wouldn't be on the same street.

“It's all sensationalism. The organized crime, the drugs, now a targeted public servant. Pretty sexy,” she said flatly looking at some almond noodles. 

“I haven't had any of those in ages! I wonder if they still have that hint of special spice. 

“You know I'm not one to infringe on the media’s rights, but this whole thing has left me feeling-” she didn't want to say it. “I mean- How did they find me? I don’t remember anyone following me after work.”

A couple of orders were put in with dessert. Vampires love sugar. 

“Don't know yet, but ten seconds without a camera and I'll know.”

There was a cushioned bench on the wall between award displays. Zareen kept it for the cat, but a quick move of the bed off, and it was suitable for a nap. Instead, Zandra curled up, rubbing her arms, and the cat, who was low on head pettings.

“I hate this. I really do. It’s like they took our house!”

“Hm,” the climate control was on her computer. She warmed up the room, and removed her jacket. “We could buy a new one. Take a vacation?” 

A diamond dusted sky over a hot springs sure sounded like the cure.

“We can’t.”

“I can work on the road. Just got to pack what’s-her-face in bag.” It was a little harder to focus this morning. Lack of sleep maybe.

“Dottie?”

“Who? Oh! Um, well? Let’s adopt her, and take her with us. She sleeps plenty.”

There was a loud gasp from the other side of the room that startled her.

“You mean it?!”

“Um, yeah. We can afford to get her personal care. She’ll probably be less miserable with us, than in that horrible hospital. They serve tea in bag. God Damn Americans.”

“You use  tea bags.”

“When I have to! After so many years you just get lazy!”

“Do you think she’ll want us? How long will it take? Do we need documents?”

“I can’t remember if we updated them for the license. Need to do it anyway. Why don’t do that? I’m still ironing out some suits and Per’s case.” 

Screens on privacy mood, the nurse started typing away. 

“Oh! We’re going to be mommies! A new adventure I can’t wait!”

Zareen nearly choked.

***

“You gotta get me out of here! They got me in cuffs, scammer! Cuffs and a piss bucket! Fuck this shit! Did the cleaners get the virus?”

“Sid, please, English. It’s hard enough to get your appeal going when they have your threats on video! Don’t use that rat talk on me. As far as  _ that _ I heard it didn’t go well. It was on the news. Need I remind you that, as your lawyer, I report evidence to the police?”

“Shit! Book yourself and fucking get me out!”

“Sid, calm down. Do you even know who you messed with?”

“I don’t fuckin’ care! Man! Worms eat worms out there! They come outta your eyes!”

The guard called the minute mark.

“Bob, you gotta get me out! This shit don’t stand! I didn’t do nothin’!”

“You were seen on a camera attacking hospital staff. Now, the home of Zareen Diamond, head lawyer and co-owner of Diamond law firms is invaded by some of your little friends! She’s suing! She’s suing you, and each one of your “chess club members,” and it’s not because she needs another yacht! You enraged her!  She’s going for blood! That’s what she does! You don’t get to her level selling scout cookies and defending street punks like you!”

“She ain’t shit! You can take her Uncle Bobby. You can bust any ass.”

The guard called time.”

“Please take this chance to think a little, Sid. Your father is very upset.”

“Fuck ‘im.”

“Considering he married my sister, I’ll pass. Take care, Sid.”

After picking his things, he stepped outside into the blazing summer sun. He pulled out  an old phone with an onyx design. Not much was to be found about the famed lawyer. He’d studied the Diamond law firm his whole life. Now he stood on the outside looking for the crack that would shatter it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obsidian.


	9. Waning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reenie spend some time at Zandy's work and they drop in on the brainy kid with the attitude.

Fingers flew over the keys as if possessed with a knowledge and drive of their own. It was a cold, dingy room, as it should be. It was his roommate’s. There was no way he was going to risk being caught doing this sort of thing on his equipment. Thankfully, a questionable underground tech rebel had answered his ad, and moved in to create a rat’s nest of old cables, wires, and Doritos dust. Half of his days were spent in the darkest part of the sewers beneath the information superhighway. He didn’t even want to speculate as to what was being said or done. The other half, Bob suspected, was in a whole other den. 

It was perfect.

Access to anyone, anywhere, to do almost anything, and he had the perfect scapegoat that regularly basted itself in a few dollars of some synthetic drug. The feds could break in tomorrow and wouldn’t even find his finger prints on the doorknob. He had a set of gloves he kept for “cleaning.” 

It was winning.

Sure, his information wouldn’t stand in court as is, but he was always the kid in school that looked up spoilers to a new game before finishing the tutorial. This was just the adult version. Knowing where it’ll all end up and then working backwards. He might only work for a second-rate law firm now, but he had moved up from the very bottom. Charity work.

He threw back some bourbon. The burn cleansed.

If he were to be honest, he didn’t give two shits about his crack-whore sister’s punk bastard. Twelve years ago he had turned down the only offer he had gotten in school thinking that the most coveted law firm in the world would taken him in with open arms.

Twelve years.  

A roach passed his glass.

Twelve years.

Drip, went the faucet in the bathroom. It was crusted over with white and algae. The landlord claimed it was misused and in perfect order.

“Twelve years,” he growled at the image of Zareen Zircon.

Soon he will feast.

***

“Reenie, you don’t have to follow me to work.” A late afternoon nap left her hair a mess.

“What? You can follow me to work, but I can’t follow you? That’s sexism.” The sun was setting low in the smog.

“How it is sexism? I own fifty percent.”

“I wanted to own sixty nine, but you seduced me out of it.”

Traffic was a sit and wait game.

“How did I seduce you?”

“I said, let’s get married, and you bought sexy underwear.”

“No, I asked if you wanted to have a ceremony like a wedding, and you found a French bridal magazine. In fact, as I recall, you started wearing white lace and singing, “Here Cums the Bride” for every time we had sex!”

“Oh yeah! I miss fun stuff like that. Seems childish now.”

“You were always coming up with such ridiculous things, and making me laugh.” They could finally take their exit that would be a clear shot to St. Brigid’s. “I miss that.”

Teal and muted lemon lights chased one another over the car. If one wasn’t looking they’d think they were bleeding into each other.

“The world was a happier place then. I think all the shit I swallowed infected me.” 

Zandy was quiet for a long time, twisting her wedding ring until it hurt. 

Gulp.

“Do-Do y-you want-want Nurse S-S-Sexy to h-help?”

That got a laugh.

“What happened to your ethics?”

“Oh, to hell with ‘em. It’s just us.”

“And baby makes three?”

“Oh yeah! Can we ask her tonight? Please?” 

The lawyer tapped her fingers on the wheel.

“No time like the present. I’m just a little surprised. You hate change.”

“Well, it’s all because of you. I was so afraid of everything back then. I didn’t even know that I practically instantly fell in love with you. Now I know what it feels like, and you showed me I don’t have to be so afraid. The instant I saw her, I thought, “This is for me,” and the more we talked, the more I fell in love.”

“So you want to fuck her?” This was really confusing.

“Reenie! No! There’s different types of love. I just allow myself to feel those feelings. A connection with a human being.”

“Are we even human?”

The car parked. 

“Do you think it matters?”

They got out.

“Not at all, go get changed. I’m gonna stare at all the new babies. I’d hang with the squirt, but they probably don’t want me up there alone.”

Zandy shook her head.

“You’re so impulsive.” 

Reenie threw her arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick squeeze.

“And you’re my rock.”

After getting changed into her scrubs her coworkers expressed their concern, their admiration, and repeated empty assurances that she didn’t have to work. Only the head nurse treated her like it was any other day. There was a silent understanding that both used work as an anxiety manager. But she fretted the whole time about whether she should change out of her scrubs before meeting her midnight patient. She was half hoping for a hug, and it was discouraged to expose people to anything on her scrubs. 

“I mean, ultimately it’s a personal visit, but I just feel so weird at the hospital out of uniform.”

The sleeping man recovering from surgery didn’t have anything helpful to add, just bag of urine to be collected for destruction. None of her patients seemed interested in her internal conflict. 

She passed a room in the maternity ward, and heard fervent whispers. Looking in she saw a new mother passed out in her bed, the new grandmother with a rosary praying with a rough voice. The nurse went to the station to ask what was happening. The young mother had a long, difficult labor and lost a lot of blood. No father was in sight, so her own mother sat waiting on her, for all those hours the woman hadn’t known if she had gained a grandchild or lost a daughter. 

“They say the worse thing to happen to parent is to outlive their child. I can’t image the heartbreak,” finished the on-duty nurse.

“They haven’t seen the drying out wing,” quipped another.

It was horrifying. Thinking that someone had so much power over you. She joined her wife after changing into her street clothes.

“Hey, something happen? We don’t have to say anything tonight.”

Running her fingers to comb her hair, Zandy stood straighter, and pulled her wife into the lift.

“I don’t want to wait anymore!” She then snogged her wife senseless until they arrived at their floor. Sure, it wasn’t visiting hours, but the staff understood that the nurse had fostered a relationship with the strange child, and trusted her.

The jovial mood ended when they entered the patient’s room. She was up, but had an I.V. running through her arm, dark circles under her eyes that were staring deadpan at some video. They stood out as her pale hair was gone, a bare head in its place. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bob is being his name sake. Do you love me still?  
> ~Here cums the bride! Dress her up in white!~


	10. Dot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Zircons spend the night with Peri!

“Hey! You decided to train as a swimmer! Looking good Per!” 

When Zandy was at a loss for words, she could always count on Reenie.

“I can’t swim, stupid!”

“Trying to be a human dart?”

“No!”

“Your giant head got too hot.”

“My head’s not big!”

“Then it’s fashion. Dear, oh dear. Our little girl is growing up, Zandy.”

“Did you fall on your head a child?” sneered Peri. “They shaved my head because my cancer spread and the chemo was making my hair fall out. They’re moving me soon.”

“That’s good, this place is a dump. Our house is much better.”

“Hospice! They want to get rid of me!”

“Peri,”soothed her nurse. “That’s not it. They’re just moving you to some place where they’re better equipped to take care of you. And I think that’s Reenie’s way of asking if you want to stay with us.”

“In the children ward?” the girl raised her wispy eyebrow.

“No,” Zandy moved closer to her wife, and took her hand. “Peri, we were talking about it, and we’re not perfect, there’s a lot we have to learn, but our lives have gotten so much brighter since you became a part of it and we’d love it if you’d agree to be a part of our nutty life. Then we can all have a family.”

The girl fidgeted, wrestling with her emotions.

“Of course, we don’t expect an answer tonight. It’s late, thought we’d just take you for a stroll down the hall and we can see whole new set of boring walls. Then of course if you do say yes we’ll have to get you something pretty. No girl of mine rides second class, but I’m not trying to bribe you or anything.” Reenie coughed to the side, and raised Zandy’s left hand with a modestly jeweled gold band that was easily worth a year’s wage. “She doesn’t wear the good one to work.”

“I argued, but jewels do last. Even if you hate diamonds.”

The couple shared a secret smile that only the other could  decode. Having their fill of flirting, they took Peri to the garden where Zandy tried to name all the flowers she could to sate the child’s mind, Reenie filled in the gaps with her own “creative” names.

“Imma call it a Ruben.”

“That’s not a flower name!” The blondes were forever clashing.

“Says who?”

“Science!”

“Science can’t make up its mind about anything. It looks like a Ruben, so I’ll call it a Ruben. Isn’t that right, Zands?”

“I think it’s a daisy or rose or something. Oh dear, I could never remember much. We called them giacinto, when I was a girl.”

“Gi-ak-in-toe?” mouthed Peri. “Is that English?”

“Ah, no, my father was Italian.”  

“And I’m Reenie, and that’s a Ruben.”

“You can’t just rename things!” argued the grade schooler.

Zandy giggled at the confrontational pair. It was almost too perfect. Peri got a challenge, and treated like an equal, and Reenie stayed on her bratty behavior so any charm one could find was the real deal. They were both so alive, even if the shadows fell in the hollows of the child’s temples and eyes so the ghostly visage of Death overtook her youth.

“Anti-gravity barf isn’t a thing!”

“Anti-gravity Taco Bell is a thing, argo, barf-town,” calmly countered the lawyer.

“You’re so immature!”

“And you’re six or something, right?”

“I thought moms were suppose to remember stuff like that!”

“Well, I’m not a mom, yet. Am I?” Reenie bent over and got right into the now blushing girl’s face.

“You see what she does? She distracts you and goes for the kill. Hell’s going to be proud to add her as a lawyer.” Zandy moved the wheelchair away from her smug wife.

“Only if it’s real,”remarked both blondes at the same time.

“Oh dear, now it’s in stereo. At least it sounds good.” Giving Peri’s shoulder a brief squeeze, it was decided that it was late, and they all needed rest. Even if the Zircons weren’t quite ready to pick up the pieces of their home.

They had returned the patient to her room and was about to say their goodbyes, when she had one last thing to ask.

“Do you feel sorry for me? Is this what this is? Pitty?”

“The fu- hell would I do that?” Zareen put her hands in her pockets.

“Reenie!”

“What? I fixed it! I ain’t use to kids!”

Zandy pinched the bridge of her nose.

“You’re impossible. 

“No, Peri. We are not doing this because we feel bad for you. Reenie’s answer to that is to throw money at all her problems.”

“Well, it works!”

“Not for everything!” She sat on the edge of Peri’s bed, and placed her hand over the girl’s. “We genuinely love you, and we want to take care of you. But there’s only so much we can do, since you’re my patient, and Reenie is someone barely connected to you.”

“And I’m not invited back to visiting day. What with the whole, telling you how it is and lifting you up, and stuff.” The twinge of guilt manifested in her neck, so she rubbed it. 

“She’s very stubborn.” Zandy whispered. “She wore candy pjs for years after we got married. She needs a lot of teaching.” She winked at her pint-sized confident. 

“Obviously,”snorted Peri. “She’s an immature brat. I don’t know why you put up with her.”

“Because she loves me.” Bragged Reenie. “It’s a very exclusive club. Consider yourself lucky. I know I am. Luckiest woman in the world. I guess there’s room for you to be the luckiest girl. If you’re not doing anything else.” She was getting a dirty look. “What?”

The whole evening suddenly seemed absurd, so Peri laughed, and laughed. She held her forehead and laughed until her mirth spilled out of her eyes. It was the happiest moment the couple had known is far too long. 

Just maybe this could work.

The women went home, but not much had changed. 

“Hey, you messed up my bed last night,” noted Reenie.

“Yeah? Well, I didn’t hear any complaints.” She tried to rub some heat into her arms.

“Both of our mouths were a little busy, as I recall.” 

The previous night’s passions were a whirlwind they hadn’t know since their covert nights in London over a nightclub.

“Well… I think my bed’s clean. A little overturned since the police had to investigate.”

The lawyer wasted no time claiming the territory with her discarded garments, the plopping into the bed like it was hay. 

“You gonna take your shower?” She was lounging topless on the overturned sheets.

Zandy toed into the room, like she was trespassing.

“Yeah, um, do you think-since you’re here and all-?”

“I’ll blow you in the shower some other night. I’m sore.”

“No. No, not that. The bed, could you-?” Words didn’t come to her. She wanted evidence to go away. Her room to be hers again. There were eyes everywhere.  

“Yep, rub my ass all over it. No problem. If I’m not here, it’s because I went to get some ass wax for a smoother ass polished look.”

They were trying. That’s all she could ask for. When she got out of the shower the bed was made with fresh linen and Reenie was dozing on one side. The heater had been turned on, someone had remembered the vampire’s chronic chill.

“Reenie?”

“Mah ah? Wha?”

“Never mind. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“It is tomorrow,” she drunkenly slurred.

****

_ Dear Apatite or the legal guardians of one Peridot; case number  _ **_2F5L C-5XG,_ **

_Despite the increase in chemo the cancer has metastasized and started to form small tumors axilla, or under arm. This change indicates the cancer is now in her_ _lymphatic system. This makes treatment even more difficult. She is scheduled for surgery Wednesday morning, we’re hoping to get it finished before her white blood count gets any lower, she is borderline as it is._

_ I sincerely wish I had happier news for you, as I know it is a rare commodity in your profession. To be frank, her prognosis has worsen. At this rate we’re looking at less than year. _

_ There are no words to express the strength and bravery with which she has faced this trial. She is an inspiration to us all. And even with her social handicap she has made a friend with one of our senior night nurses, who has taken the girl under her wing and has even involved her wife, whom I’m sure you’ve contacted with already.  It seems the wife is a prominent lawyer working to get a bill passed in the girl’s honor.  _

_ The child’s wing has never been more lively. _

_ I will be in touch until our next meeting. _

_ Thank you, _

_ Dr. Jo-Jo _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remembered Zandy was Italian. Yes, I do mess with people like this in real life. Welcome back Dr. Jo-Jo! She was Peri's doctor from Oh Baby.


	11. A Rose by Any Other Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reenie has her bossy boots on, Peri is warming up, and who is that strange man?

“I recognize the esteem with which your firm has held itself over the decades. The contributions your own family members have made to the halls of history in the name of the disenfranchised are immeasurable, but you don’t understand how complicated government funds are. I won’t argue it’s a worthy cause, but it just wouldn’t gather enough attention.  Maybe in a few years with social activism-”

This was all super boring. Her shoes were shiny though. They always had these excuses. While her team recorded, and scribbled around her, she twisted her ankle to catch the light, and leaned over the back of the chair. Government offices are so small, and cheap. After hearing her fill, and checking her special mani, she raised her hand to silence the governor.

“Look here, Dick.”

“Richard.”

“Dicky, I’ve got every major media outfit waiting outside with whatever internet misfit stalks my company waiting for the first major announcement from the Governor and the Diamond Law firm since we made wifi a public resource. Now, you can go out there and be a hero, or have a zero votes come next November. Really, nothing breaks a Diamond, so any resistance is just a minor inconvenience for us.”

She let him sweat for a second.

“Now, we’re going out to the nice reporters. Are you coming with us?”

Her eyes were fit to feast.

The screens in the lobby were always on the news. It was deemed safe after the Republican Party broke up into two parties.

It was a rerun of the day’s biggest stories.

Nurse Sandy was confirming some patient information at the front desk. A dolled up blonde stood in an ivory suit on the steps of the capital with the governor behind her looking uncomfortable, behind a podium. 

“Today we are proud to announce-”

“How long do you think it took her to get that made up?” asked the attendant at the window.

“She starts a week ahead with a juice cleanse. Swears it makes her glow. The she gets up at three to be in the chair at five for nine a.m. meeting,” Nurse Sandy answered automatically, not even looking up.

“No way. You know about that stuff? You don’t wear makeup.”

“I don’t, but my wife does. There she is.” With the interface she pointed at the crowing blonde trying to look humble and failing.

“Damn, girl! You and her? I don’t believe it.”

“Yeah, she’s been up a lot recently. You must have missed her. But you’re not missing anything. She’s every bit the preening ass you see on the screen.”

“-together with like minded individuals-”

“Wait, doesn’t Diamond do a lot of charity work?”

“And gouge it’s over-stuffed clients.”

“Shit, now I know you’re lying. Ain’t nobody working here for the love of the patients.”

“If I don’t escape house I’d choke on her fumes. Besides, the halls are quiet at night. The only issue is when there’s-

“A full moon,” the office sighed.

“Yeah, hey, do you think the cleaning staff can sneak me into the gift shop? I want to get some flowers.”

The receptionist looked up the number. 

“Going to sweeten the honey tonight?”

“Um, sorta,” Nurse Sandy shrugged, she looked at the cameras, then leaned in close. “I asked one of the orphans if they’d like to have me for a mom. I’m not trying to bride them or anything, but it feels wrong to show up empty handed.”

“Tch! I feel you girl! Growing the family! I’m so happy for you! If it works out. I haven’t heard anything from pedi in a while. And if they don’t work out, you can adopt me!”

The night nurse laughed. 

“I doubt, Reenie would allow it. Despite how she’s soaking up the limelight like a cat in sun, she values her privacy.”

A man dropped his old of date phone and cursed it meekly.

“Shoot, well, you know where to find me. I’ll get Linda to open the shop.”

Even though the core of the hospital walls were cinder block and cement, the solar panels rattled. The wind was trying to worm it’s fingers into cracks of the building to rob the people of their peace.

“How frightful,” she remarked as she worked through pediatrics. She worked around the parents that could stay the night. Most tried. They were always so tired. The blood she had earlier was weakening, and her hunger waited in the background, held at bay by her excitement. 

When she walked into little Dottie’s room, the girl looked to be asleep, but you can’t fool a heart rate monitor. 

“Evening, Peri. No, I didn’t come to talk about that. Business this week. How are you feeling?”

The bald child sat up, and kicked her feet out.

“What gave me away?”

“Resting heart rate.” The IV had to be replaced. “You didn’t answer me.”

“Cold. Who’s Zareen?”

The line was clean, but she didn’t like the new infection warning on the chart.

“I suppose that depends. Who do you mean?”

Peri held the stuffed bee.

“The nurses were talking about a Zareen Diamond or something. She was on TV, she’s was talking about funding for kids or something.”

“Oh! That. That was Reenie.”

“Wha-?”

The wind was still howling. 

“She’s a lawyer. Together we own the firm. Put on your booties. I need to change your sheets.”

“How could  _ she _ be a lawyer? Lawyers have to be hard working, and smart, and serious! She was naming flowers after people!”

“Don’t people name humans after flowers?”

“That’s different! Flowers are named for a standardized species!” 

“Like rose?”

“Yes!”

The nurse giggled as she removed the bedding and out it in her cart.

“Jangmi,” she responded.

“What?” The girl curled up in the window and shivered. 

“The Koreans call them that.” The pillowcase was changed out.

“What?”

“You call them a rose, they call them a jangmi.”

“Oh.” She was starting to feel silly.

“Don’t do that.” The nurse tucked in the corners. “Reenie just has an indirect way of getting people to question what they know. It’s very annoying. I made her stop doing it to me. I guess she misses it.”

“So she used to do it to you? It feels like teasing.”

“No, it just means she knows you’re smart, and wants to help you through some mental blocks, as it were.” The bed was opened up, set to warm, and final wrinkles smoothed out.

“So she’s not teasing.”

“No, it’s actually a sign of respect for her. But it is royally annoying. Now, close your eyes, hold out your hands.”

Even though a part of her warned her of possible deception, she had not caught the nurse in a lie, nor did it seem like there was anything to gain. But then, what did hurling a slice of meat at her head gain anyone anyway? 

“Such a scowl!” Some light fell into her hands, but she kept her eye shut. “You can open your eyes now.”

“Well, you didn’t say so.” Her eyes were greeted by a chartreuse knitted had that didn’t want to decide between green or yellow, with a tear-drop face with black almond eyes, sitting on the hem. 

“Thought it would keep your head warm, and I thought the color matched your eyes. Did you know they shine yellow when the sun hits them at just the right angle?”

“No,” she studied the patch.

“Oh, the patch! Couldn’t find one without it, but he’s kinda cute! He can be a friend for Miss Bee! Don’t worry, I washed it during my break. Surprised the thing didn’t shrink in those dryers of ours.”

“It’s great, um. Thank you.” She tried it on, the top stood up like a little pyramid. It was very soft and warmed quickly.

The smile that spread over the nurses thin, pale lips made Peri’s tummy flip.

“I’m glad you like it. So how’s the book going?”

It was sitting on the bed stand with a vase of flowers.

“Wait, can I help?”

“With what, dear?”

“Your wife. I-I watched the news. She’s really doing it for me. I thought she was joking around. Maybe it’s her way of coping. I’ve been told that people react to Death in different ways. She seems like the take action sort. Could I- Could I help her? Maybe, just maybe, I can do something with my life. Something that matters.”

“Oh Dottie,” After disposing her gloves, and sanitizing her hands, she caressed the girl’s cheek. “You don’t have to do anything. You’ve already made me happy. Plus, billions of people on this tiny planet live each day like they can’t wait to get to the end of it. They don’t care about anything but the next pay check to ease the burden of living. You don’t need to try to do, or say anything grand. You just have to live your life the way that makes you happy.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“Well, you first have to ask what makes you happy, and what do you think will make you happy.”

“That’s stupid.”

“Not at all. I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m a lot older than I look, and I’ve learned there’s no point to life if you’re not enjoy it.”

Peri held her bee a little closer.

“Can you stay with me a little bit?”

“Of course.”

“Can you hug me?” 

The nurse smiled. “I just need to take off my scrub top.”  She hung it on the bathroom door. Now she was in a simple tee shirt, and she could finally get that hug she’d been hoping for, for weeks. The child also seemed to be releasing something, because she clung tight like it was a new thing that was went for with full force.

“Why does she call you Zandy?”

“Oh, it’s silly. My name was, or is, I lose track of these things, Zandra, but it was easier for people to call me Sandy. These things don’t bother me. But when Reenie found out she declared that I would be her Zandy. The rest of the world could drown in dull Sandys, she’d have the only Zandy and she wouldn’t share.”

“Can I- Can I call you Zandy?” She seemed so small.

“Of course. Call me anything you want.” The urge to hold her was so strong.

“You’ll-you’ll be sad when I-go.”

“Devastated.”

“You’d feel worse if you had to adopt me.” Peri pushed with her heels into the corner of the window seat, holding her knees harder.

“Nope, just as devastated, but at least I would have more happy memories, like getting to hold you when you’re upset.

“And if you want, maybe we can meet someone you can be a big sister to. Have to warm Reenie to the idea though.”

“Yeah.” Peri said wistfully. “I’m not saying yes-”

“I’m not looking for an answer. Just making my rounds.”

“But I have a few questions, about- about if I went with you.”

“Ask away.”

“Do you have any pets?”

“Well, Reenie has a cat she keeps at the office.”

“I’m allergic to cats.”

“So is Reenie, but she saved it as a kitten, and can’t be convince to let it go.”

“What about-” The poor nurse was suffered to a barrage of questions, each on a brick in the life she wanted to build with her two favorite blondes. By the time pink peeked over the horizon and she was walking out the door, she barely flinched when someone ran into her, and then passed her after knocking her to the ground. Zandy was somewhere else entirely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like pearl, rose is pretty much rose in a ton of languages, but then I remembered Zandy's mom was raised in Korea, so that helped. Zandy has gotten much better at dealing with her depression. I'm so proud of her.


	12. Warming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reenie has been waiting.

“I was magnificent out there! The camera loves me! And I love them!” Reenie had decided to shower, put on a sheer silk robe, and power nap on the couch. “I’m hot, and horny. Let’s rock the casbah!” Artfully, the robe slipped from her shoulders to pool around her bare waist.

“Um, sure.” The distant rumble of hunger was there, but so many centuries since she last gave into the beast, temper to to be unafraid of it, and the lure of sleep was stronger. 

“What? Last week you wanted to eat my panties, and now you come home late, half hard and still don’t want my tits?” 

“No, no,” Zandy insisted through a yawn. “Just tired. You would have been proud of her. I think she found a website of interview questions and then sprinkled in her own. She even asked how much we make. She doesn’t believe me. Mostly you, there was talk of her helping out your suit.” Out of habit, she checked her stash in the fridge. 

“Ugh, no kid talk! I want my world rocked!” The lawyer rushed over and closed the fridge with her ass. 

“Alright, just let me shower. You don’t want old people farts on you.”

“Who are you to tell me what I like?!” Crossing her arms, she tapped her toes.

“I don’t know, I thought being your wife counted for something.” Abandoning the chill box she started for her shower.

“I want my pole extended!”whined the blonde. “I whipped everyone, and I want my custard whipped.”

The whining, fatigue, and hunger was giving her a headache. “Look, I need to scrub up, so why don’t you go pick out what you want?”

“I want someone with someone with  fucking force,” muttered a dejected Zareen, as she slinked off.

Honestly, there was just some days when  Zareen’s ego seemed like all the company the lawyer needed. The water was the perfect temperature instantly. She kept it programed to a skier’s dream. Besides a fresh meal, it was the only time she truly warm. The clouds of steam caressed her veiny skin, like a whisper of sunlight. Questions and answers buzzed through her, loops of the last hour. Excitement kept her on a natural high, that shorten time. She slicked back her hair, before stepping out on the rug heated by the floor.  Vents activated taking the humid air up, and blasting her with dry warm air as she dried herself. 

Normally, she avoided the mirror, nothing new, nothing exciting. But with her hair darker, and combed to her skull she looked like the creature of night that she was, the hunger sharpened her eyes, it pulsed in her teeth.

Zareen wanted a reward for showing off how more brilliant she was than everyone. A popped cherry on top of her day, but there was another side to the bombastic blonde that she would never admit.

Sitting in the back of her closet were her more risque items that, like herself,rarely saw the light of day. After a hot shower, she didn’t want to put back on more than she had to. Picking up a pair of boots, she slipped on sheer, high-waisted ebony panties open in the back with stripes of satin ribbons that criss-crossed to a single bow, thigh high hose with a few rents in them, and the knee high leather boots. An anniversary gift from Italy. 

It had been so long since they did this sort of thing, she felt clueless. But it would come one way or the other, so long as Reenie came. Taking care of the extra clank of the heels on the floor she make her way to their “Snuggle Room” or as her partner put it, “The Climaxing Court.” Her wife was muttering to herself while pondering over the order of some toys.

Reenie didn’t want a lollipop for a job well done. She wanted recognition from someone worthy. Keeping quiet, she approached as close to the nude as she could without touching her, and just stood.    

“Flavored or unflavored?” A move to shift weight brought her in contact with the warmed body behind her, causing her to start in surprise. “Oh there you are, I’ve got some stuff. Do what you want. Lord, knows we’ve done, or tried everything under the sun, moon, and that pier in India.”

But Zandy said nothing, she pointedly examined each chosen item, feigned boredom, and walked away to a chair used only for spankings. The news  was brought up, and any mention of the lawyer was pointedly ignored. 

“Um, hi? I thought we were doing stuff. You’re naked. I’m naked. We’re either going to fight or fuck, and I’m down for both at the same time.”

The brunette wished the chair had arms to lean on.

“Hey! I held a major press conference today! I practically had that senator in a cock vise in front of the world! I pull he barks!”

Men rarely found their tongue when the blonde turned on her charm. Expect that one guy that turned out to be super gay. The corner of her mouth rose at the member of Reenie shocked face as her flirtation was met with a hand, and a sound of disgust. Zandy won a clean garage that night.

“What are you smirking about?! Did you know,” to get in her wife’s vision, Reenie had to get on her knees on the rug, “I found a loophole in the current law stating that the state had to fund efforts to provide equitable access to resources. The law is already there it’s just a matter of making sure it’s enforced.”

“Huh.” The game would be over to quick if she gave in this easy.

“I made the crew follow me to an orphanage, and I didn’t bring them to Peri, because, even though I’m doing all this for her, I didn’t know if she wanted cameras in her adorable smooshy face with her new haircut.”

“Wow, you want me to work up a sweat over a bitch like you acting like a decent human.”Zandy deactivated her interfaces, and crossed her legs in the only alluring angle they possessed. “Now, I have important things to do, so hurry up and answer one question.” She pressed her boot into Reenie’s shoulder just enough for it to bite. “Do you want to be fucked like a bitch or a whore?” 

The circuits in the blonde’s brain were sparking in all directions. It was familiar, but how this went depended on her partner’s mood and her next move.  

Carefully, she replied, “I guess got us an appointment to talk to her case manager next week to start the adoption process.”

She removed her boot, stood, and strode over to the lumpy mattress. “Get your ass over here.” 

Still not sure where this was going, Reenie sat on the bed. While getting a few things out of nightstand Zandy ordered for the other to lie on her stomach in the middle of the bed. Except, the lawyer was rarely in such a position unless being punished, so she hesitated and was slapped across the face. More sting than pain, but Zandy still held position to see how this tone would be received. Reenie only licked her lips for things she liked. So, the brunette continued. 

“Isolate idiot!” Pushing roughly Zandy turn Reenie around, sat on her, and used the brace she had retrieved to secure Reenie’s hands behind her back, straps went around her chest restraining her breasts, around her neck and her legs to keep them spread open, lest she choke herself. It wasn't easy, even with Reenie’s “struggles” were peppered with helpful instructions. 

Now that her “victim” was secured she dug out an old glass wand and turned it to buzzing.

“I was ancient when you were a babe, and you want me to stop my work to feed your perverted appetite.” Taps of the wand across the back. The energy forced the muscles to contract, like a deep punch. While Zandy never understood it, her wife was mad for it. The first gasp was followed by moans, and abused lips. “Another pathetic pebble that takes a quick tumble and thinks it’s better than the rest of the dirt.” Taps up the meaty thighs marked with past passions. If she timed it right she could have the first climax just when she started on that ass of Reenie’s pride. “You only shine when I spit on you.”

“Yes!” The blonde hissed, raising her bum, just to have it spanked hard. 

“I didn’t call for your ass, so don’t stick it my face, you half wit!”

“Sorry! Spit on me, please!”

“No.” The wand was held at the crease between thigh and rump long enough to hurt.

“I tried! I worked hard! I have a meeting set up and the first draft of the amendment ready!”

“Good,” Now some color could be added to those clenching cheeks. As Reenie cursed, gasped, and wrung her bound hands, Zandy spread her knees further, half to give the line around her neck more slack, and half to keep an eye on things. Briefly, she mourned the loss of her partner's menses, the rich blood had more iron and nutrients for the babe she never had. Hours on her back, tongue working the silken folds bringing both to ecstasy over and over. While she always felt guilty about the UTIs afterwards, a small part of her was secretly proud that she had been the only one to do that to her love.

“God Fucking Damn it!” 

There it was. Rubbing like a shameless whore on the sheets was getting her nowhere. So Reenie cursed religion.

“That mouth isn’t fit to lick my boots.” The toy was placed on the table, and the blonde was forcibly flipped, now she had to lift her hips to stay off the bar in the middle of her back. “I should leave you here.”  Picking the wand back up, it was now played over the fleshy plains, the whole body convulsed with cries. “Quiet! I can’t hear myself!”

A couple punishing slaps to the swollen nub hidden in the nest of curls, but it was meant to excite than to get actual silence. “At least you did more than grow stretch marks at the office today.” The hand that punished became a reward. Pressing into the pubic bone beneath, she rubbed hard and fast. 

Reenie was pitching a fit, fighting her restraints, begging for more. She arched and stilled, before collapsing and choking slightly. 

“Pathetic.” In a sterile kit were a few instruments, she brought up the scalpel. The gleam of cold steel entranced her. There was a tube of sanitizing numbing gel she spread on the area she wanted decorated. This macabre area was one that they had perfected. Careful not to have glass and steel on the same body at once she alternated the enjoy of the wand with the sting of the blade pressed every so lightly, scratching spirals and swirls that beaded with blood. They have have stayed like that for hours, certainly by the time she’d filled Reenie’s abs with designs some of it had dried. The rich copper smell had lowered her fangs, it pulsed behind her eyes. Reenie shook with fatigue. 

“I'm surprised you held out this long,” Zandy remarked, as much for herself as her wife. “ You’ve finally earned something.” She went back to table the blonde was preparing before the game started. Working on the assumption it has been a while, she bent over with her half exposed fear in position for viewing as she slipped the straps on the twisted on a thin,long, goldenrod dildo. She took the lube with her, warming it the best she could between her hands before thrusting two fingers in her drooling captive. 

“Miss-, Mas-? Please?” 

She wasn't sure what Reenie wanted, ultimately it didn’t matter. They were both going to do what they wanted. Like putting on an old worn glove, she pushed in, gripping the bony hips harder than necessary, a reflex of flamed agitation, but it was quickly soothed as she turned herself into a jack hammer, rocking the whole bed into the damaged plastered wall.

Now Reenie praised religion. The Earth was shook and the Heavens opened, its very gates rammed repeatedly with Hellish intent. The light spilled out, becoming so great, Reenie’s soul was lifted to it, a ghastly wail proof of its ascent. The long the hellish assault lasted, the longer the gates stayed open. But Hell relented, and it softened as it slowed. 

Zandy was sweating, and weak with want. The heavy perfume of sex sharpened her hunger, but she could control herself. She never wanted to lose control again. They pants filled the heated air. What she wanted to do, was lick the bloody design on Reenie’s stomach, but she eased out, biting back a curse as the scent of fresh blood hit her. 

_ Reenie first! Reenie first! _

Gingerly, she rolled the babbling blonde over, and fumbled with shaking fingers with the knots, and clasps. The flesh was rubbed and inspected. Since the lawyer was happy being a rag doll, Zandy took the half second to collapse next to her to calm herself and catch her breath.

A claw raked across her ribs.

“I didn’t say I was done.” Reenie huffed as she pulled herself over her wife.

“How are you moving?!”

“I’m still  _ hot _ , Zandy,” not having strength, she had to lay over her and nip Zandy’s jaw. “I  _ need _ it, Zandy. Why are you fighting me? Take  _ it _ ! Take  _ me!” _

“Reenie,” the brunette moaned. Nails finding purchase on shoulder blades. It should have been enough. The raw lust. 

“Do it!”

In a snap, she pressed the body into her’s, and broke the skin where neck met shoulder, drinking, deep the dark wine. When two became one and one became nothing.

Now the only fires that burned were in the hearth and the nurse’s loins.

“Twenty minutes, and I’m digging into that bowed ass.” 

“Oh, you’re going to be a lot longer than that. Did you have fun?”

“Yes, Reenie loves Ms. Zap-Zap, and her friend Miss Bossy boots.” A kiss on a dewy brow.

“Good. I want to turn Dottie.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the week tumblr bans tits. I make an account to get banned. https://quandisa75.tumblr.com/ Watch it burn!


	13. In the Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zandy has breakfast with a dashing flirt and makes plans for later.

“That’s so true!” The brunette laughed while throwing back her head. She had been doing that so much her coffee was luke warm and only half drunk. “And there’s never anyone around to tape it!

“Oh, Bob, I don’t know how to thank you. First, you return my ring, agreeing to this ungodly hour, and then the delightful conversation. Since you won’t let me pay for the coffee is the some other way I can repay you?”

The man who’s own drink was completely untouched twiddled his dry chewed nails and looked bashful for the first time.

“Well, I can only really think of one thing. See the is a party for the opening of Body World. I had planned to go with my friends but one had a work thing come up and the other called sick with pneumonia. She’s going to be two weeks recovering, at least. I’ve been looking for to this exhibit for months, but it’s not the safest part of town. As last minute as it is no one else can make it. If I can’t go then I’d at least like to sell the tickets to make up some of the loss.”

“That’s right! I wanted to go but I work nights so I figured I’d catch it some other year, but this year they’re going to do a new section dedicated to the importance of genetics and the researchers who first mapped the human genome and the current projects that are looking at how genetics can be safely altered to reduce the expression of harmful mutations. 

“I find that stuff interesting, but my wife doesn’t. I guess she’s waiting for science to finish discovering things.”

“Well, do you think-?”

“I’d love to go! I’ll see about talking Reenie into it. It’s just one evening. We’re very busy, but there has to be some way to get off. And of course, if one of your friends is able to accompany you, then I’ll take no offense. I’m just grateful for my ring back.”

The dark-eyed man shook his hands. 

“No, no, dear lady! It was my privilege to hear such sharp wit and sparkling conversation! People these days are so absorbed in their social media accounts they lose the ability to hold a real conversation with a flesh and blood person. Not to mention the delightful laugh of yours.”

“Oh please! I hate my laugh. I grew up being told the it wasn’t lady-like.” 

“Such archaic notions. A lady is simply someone who demonstrates respect for everyone and makes effort to provide more than basic courtesy to those they meet.”

Zandy giggled into her coffee. 

“Are you saying you’re a lady, Mr. Bob?” The nurse was far too amused. 

“Why I suppose I am! So you’re saying you can escort a lady like me to the opening?” He lowered his head and looked like a small boy pleading to his mother for lollipop.

“Of course. I’ll be there in my finest. Just tell me when and where you want to meet up.”

After a sorting out the details and finishing up coffee over more banter, they stood outside in the week morning light. 

“I hope things get better at home. I’m so sorry you and your wife and such an ugly fight, but if there is one thing I know, it’s that love will always find a way. When you’re with the right person everything just falls into place.”

Now he had Zandy sorting. 

“You’ve never been married, have you?”

“Sadly not. Seems all the good ones are spoken for already. Why?”

“The fairy-tale ends the first time they fart in bed. Have a good one, Bob. Thank you again.”

“Nonsense! My pleasure, and I look forward to seeing you next week.”

They parted ways. As Zandy drove home she grimly replayed the fight with her wife.

They had just finished “celebrating” Zareen’s public announcement that the governor was personally backing her bill, and their appointment to meet with Peri’s case worker to talk about the adaptation. Naturally, she brought up making the adoption permanent. After all, there wasn’t really a cure for leukemia, so why not try bypassing Death altogether. Zareen had some strong feelings about it.

“You want to turn her?! She’s a kid! We’d be stuck with a kid forever! Maybe! I don’t know how vampires work!” This outburst had the blonde out of bed and looking for the wet wipes. 

“Yes, I thought you understood that! She’s wonderful and I want to help her! At least give her a chance to have a life instead of her dying before she can get to middle school to be suicidal!”

“You never asked if I wanted a brat to dodge for the rest of my life! I was just getting comfortable with you around, again! Not to mention I had to  _ beg _ you to turn me! Me! The person you claimed made life worth living! What?! I’m not good enough? Or do you want some kid you can turn into a little china doll for your amusement?!”

“No! I love her! She’s a bright person with a lot to offer and the world is letting her fall in the cracks and die just so the state has one less welfare parasite!”

“Don’t give me that! Don’t you give me that Zandra! This is about you! You’re a nurse for a reason! You could have been four or five different types of doctor by now but you decided to stay a nurse so you could save people! And that’s what this is about! You want to save her! Now wonder she thinks we’re doing all this out of pity!”

“Like hell!” These accusations had Zandy fighting mad, she went to find something to cover up with. “I’ve watched thousands die when I could have done something, but I knew I couldn’t make a life with them! That includes children! Dottie is the first one I thought I could be a family with! I listened to her and I heard you when you were young! She needs us and I need her!” 

“What about me?!” Zareen roared, slamming away their toys. “Did you even  _ once _ think about how I would feel about it?!”

“I thought you’d be happy! I thought this could be a new adventure we could take together! We raised cats, dogs, parrots, and cane together. Why not one little girl?! And I’m asking you first! I haven’t breathed a word of this to her! I refuse to turn her without her permission first! Naturally, I’d prefer to wait until she was older, but time is a luxury she can’t afford!”

The blonde left the room forcing Zandy to follow her to her room.

“Reenie, don’t get on that bike again! If they catch you on a modified motorcycle it’s a ticket that looks bad for the firm and you. Who, may I remind you, just appeared on international television!”

“Oh now you’re going think about me! Fuck you very much!”

“You are being so immature!”

“I’m older than the forty dollar bill, I can do anything I want and it is mature!” She came out of her room with a scuffed up old leather jacket and protective pants.

“Please stay on the main roads?”

Her wife didn’t answer, and disappeared into the garage, the roar of a motor and the clang of the door acting like a slamming door in Zandy’s face.

Now she was forced to go back to an empty house with a ton more security features, knowing she only had a few hours peace that weren’t dedicated to sleep before she would run to the hospital and sign up for as many hours as inhumanly possible to avoid the mess at home. 

At least she had run into Bob, well, he had called her and told her that she had dropped her ring in the parking lot at the hospital and he wanted to return it in person to make sure it was safely returned to the rightful owner. 

He was quite the charmer, and the kind of gentleman that she would have considered, maybe, thinking about getting to know back when she would have had to ask her father for any friends. Although, as she thought about it, she didn’t have any back when she was human. 

Not that there was anything to look forward to back then. You were born, you got married off, you had kids until it killed you, and then you were buried as mother, the highest honor available to a woman back then. The sad part was, she couldn’t remember  her father’s name or her brother’s face. Time had stolen them from her mind, just like it wanted to claim her marriage.

She looked at the gold band she wore one the finger neighboring her pinky. A green zircon was deeply inlay, a few chips on the corners that let the light bounce closer to the surface. It reminded her of the night it had been presented to her.

Reenie had left that morning promising something unbelievable romantic that would leave her wet for days.  Since the business owner’s idea of romantic was a cake served her her bare ass, Zandy woke up in the mid-afternoon and washed, primped, changed the sheets, and waited by one of the few things she could cook in a pair of thigh highs fastened to her half corset, and  a pair of pumps. The radio played an opera show that lulled her to sleep in the heat.

The front door opened, letting in the summer breeze like a sticky hot breath. It made waking hard, but experience told her that whatever squirrelly impulse entered the blonde’s brain it was acted on to her own detriment.

“Mornin’,” she yawned.

“Hey there! Oh! Hello Zandy’s boobs! Always pleasant to see you,lads!” Metal scrapped over the table. “You cooked? What’s the occasion?”

The brunette rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out of them. “You said,um, we were going to do something.”

“Yes! While, I hate to say it, go cover your tits, we have places to be!”

“Wait,” She pulled on her robe. “I thought we were going to be romantic.”

“Yup, so you need clothes. On second thought, stay out of the bedroom for a few minutes. I want to get pretty and surprise you.” 

Minutes turned into an hour, and she came out in a tea length dress and tasteful makeup that said where ever they they were going a suit and black tie wasn’t required. So she threw on a nice pair of britches, a loose shirt, and a tweed jacket. After winning Reenie’s approval and a slap on the rear, they piled into the car and were chasing the setting sun down the coast. As the stars popped in to existence the cars they met on the highway disappeared. The moon was big and bright. She rolled down the roof to enjoy the freedom of having the sky above her. 

They parked outside a public garden. The trees hid their forms while letting spotlights illuminate the flowers. The heat let the perfumes linger in the air longer than most nights, and they roamed along the paths like fairies stealing away from bloom to bloom. It really was sweet.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it! The sea, the flowers, even lights! The world is alive here!”

“Good,” There was a fountain half choked with rose petals, Reenie led them there and sat them down. “Let’s get married.”

“What?” Zandy laughed. “We can’t get married. I don’t even have a legal identity. Let alone the fact we’re both women.”

“We’ll get a Boston marriage! We’ll get a little brownstone with a tiled kitchen, hardwood floors, a stove warming the living room, a dining room overlooking the street so we can wave in the neighbors. Upstairs there’ll be a heated bathroom and two bedrooms. One for us and one for a runaway gayling we’ll support and put through college!”

“It sounds lovely,” she wrapped an arm around her girl, and pulled her close. “A wife, a kid, and a little doggie to walk at night.”

Reenie cried in frustration and pulled away. “I’m not saying it right. Come on.” She was dragged back to the car and carried off to a dark brownstone overlooking a beach.

“This is cute. Who lives here?”

Instead of answering she was pushed inside, the lights flipped on.

“Like it?”

“Reenie, it’s wonderful. What is all of this-?” Her hands were taken, and she was guided down to the floor on a dusty rug. From her purse the blonde pulled out two small boxes.

“Even if it’s just us, I still want this. Just a little taste of the happiness and misery everyone else gets. Zandy? Will you gay marry me?”

That was the same ring she wore on the two marriages they had. The same ring that went missing and wound up in the pocket of a charming stranger. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A good ole Boston Marriage! I'm so glad I finally got to it. And yes, they took in runaways, for decades. Eventually they had to start a shelter that housed them, educated them, and got them a job.


	14. What makes you the happiest?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot has been doing some thinking.

Just staying awake was tiring now. Sometimes just being alive was painful. Physically, and spiritually. This wasn’t how a little girl was supposed to be. She was supposed to be running on the playground, and cursing spelling tests. Not that she ever did any of those things. She sat on a ramp and read mystery stories, the other kids just knew how to act, and what to say, who to say it to. It boggled her mind.

Six years and she still hadn’t figured it out. They talked about it at her conferences. Apalite was really nice, but he seemed fake. He said friendly things, but he wasn’t really a friend. They even agreed to put her in an extra class to help her make friends. It didn’t work. Even with the ones that didn’t tease her, she couldn’t get it right. No one was going to like her for her. She didn’t. Pride before the fall. 

At least that meant someone else wouldn’t have to go through the same things she did. Some other kid with a family and friends would get to have a healthy life that would make everyone happy. She couldn’t do that. She couldn’t even make friends outside of made up stories.

Deactivating her screens she picked up the little stuffed bee. It didn’t smile all the time, just when you turned it at one angle. She touched the odd fitting hat on her head. It was better than her hair at keeping her head warm, but fell off when she slept.

The pale night nurse and bratty lawyer.

They always smiled around her.

She could talk with them.

She made them happy.

So she was torn in half. It felt like she was bleeding inside. The bee blurred in her hands.

They made her feel special, like the other kids who ran to their parents for a hug after school. She haven’t wanted that since she was little, well, younger. The pain grew sharper. There was no point in letting the only people who cared about her get closer if they’re time together was just going to end quickly. It would just hurt them more. She couldn’t do that! She couldn’t selfishly hurt the only people she cared about!

She held the toy to her chest while sorrow wracked her tired and aching body. Like a hurricane blowing through an abandoned shack. It wasn’t getting better. This storm every afternoon. Tonight she had to cut it short, but there was no control it. 

Even when there was a knock on the door, she jumped but the tears flowed over raw cheeks.

She hated this.

“Peri? What’s wrong?!”

It was nurse Sandy or Zandy, whatever. Her nurse. She didn’t mean to, but her arms reached out and she held on to the cool form that rubbed her back in a way that shouldn’t have been comforting but was. It soak up the grief. They didn’t say anything. Just held each other until Peri cried out everything in her. At least for now.

“Better?”

She had such bright blue eyes that gave the impression they could only be honest. But she had her suspicions.

“I want to talk to Reenie.”

“Reenie? She’s sleeping. Early to bed, early to rise.”

“I want to try.”

“Alright.” The nurse passed her a box of tissues and dialed on her interface. It rang for a while. “Nice to hear you too.”

The thin tissues were as rough as sandpaper.

“Look, Peri wants to talk to you.” 

The child took a steadying breath.

“I don’t know. Can you remember to not be you? Ugh! That’s not what I meant. I’m putting you on speakerphone since legally you can’t have private conversations with her.”

“Joy, joy. Don’t talk to me about the law. I make the law my-”

“Hi, Reenie. Sorry it’s so late.” She twisted her fingers.

“Hey, kid. It’s fine. Living with that one I’m used to being up odd hours. Even ones too.” A yawn stretched through the connection. “What’s up?”

“You don’t to be a parent.”

There was a silence.

“Who said that?”

“You did. You’re happy with things the way they are. You haven’t done anything to mentally prepare yourself for parenthood. You’re using the bill to cope with my death.”

“Zandy, what have you been telling this child?”

“I haven’t been telling her anything! I just got here!”

Peri was annoyed at being evaded.

“Well, explain it to her.”

“No!” Peri insisted, “Don’t hide behind your wife. I deserve a straight answer!”

“Well, I don’t have one!” Reenie confessed. “I’m the world’s oldest lesbian! I made peace with the fact I’d never have a family of my own long before you were born! I had a hot wife, a hot law firm, and a place in history and I thought that’s all there was to being happy! Now someone’s throwing a cute kid at me and saying they’re going to be a part of my life forever. It’s a lot, so sorry if I haven’t thrown on my happy hat and boarded the trolley yet!

“I didn’t say I was against it. I didn’t say I was for it. I just need more time to get use to it. Geez, it’s been, what, a couple months? I’ve been strutting around in my scanties since the twenties!”

“The twenties?” That confused Peri. Did she mean her twenties? What were scanties?

“I just wanted some warning to get used to the idea. It’s a big one. It’s not like I woke up one day and decided to get married!”

“You literally said, “We’re not doing anything else, let’s get married,”” supplied Zandy.

“I don’t remember that. I remember worrying about a house for several months.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m slightly drunk.”

“See!” cried the patient. “You don’t want me!”

“I didn’t say that!”

“Peri,” started Zandy, “Don’t worry about her. She’s baby, remember. She doesn’t like change at first. I moved where we keep the car keys and she pouted for two years.”

“What are car keys?”

“The only thing that matters is what do you want. Everyone gets to be selfish when it comes to what make them happy. And no one has the right to take away your happiness. So what will make you happiest?”

*****

“Revenge. Sweet, simple, and cold.” A woman smiled through her smeared lipstick before the screen went to black and then a to be continued title card. It was Bob’s favorite movie. Well, second favorite. There was still an hour before he was going to meet his dates for the exhibit.  

His bum roommate was in the drying tank, someone had called a tip about a drunk causing a scene at his favorite bar. The extra time had been used well.

In the mirror he practiced his lines based on his notes. He couldn’t slip them up his sleeve like when he was in court. Back in school the professor was always chewing his ass about his short cuts. Morality didn’t pay. Winning did.

Half an hour later he was standing with a crowd of mostly teens taking “artful” selfies. Putting your name-tag on butt and posting it on the internet never stopped being hilarious or unoriginal. Every idea is completely original.

 His dates arrived a few minutes late.  A luxury sedan with dark tinted windows circled the building before entering the garage, moments later a finely dressed women merged. Zandy looking like a night bird about to take flight, Zareen and her signature pantsuit perfectly tailored make her angular and fierce. 

Everything about the blonde made his blood boil and run cold at the same time.  The burn of rejection; the sharp pain of humiliation, tempered his resolve. This would not be a night of failure. This be the beginning of his triumph. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapters are short, but, like it's over 1,000 words. I think that's above average for fanfics. Plus, with work, typing hurts. I have a new key board for my personal computer but that does nothing for the 8 hours I'm not at it. So this was finished with the much hated voice typing software.But I tweaked it from my earlier experiments. I want to type more, but am physically unable. Enjoy Bob's hate boner!


	15. If you give a Zircon a gun....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bob dons his black and strike out from the shadows and......!

This was too easy. A flute of champagne, and it was like he didn’t have to do anything. Walking through the exhibit, the most powerful lawyer in the world would whisper something to her wife which would elicit a response of reprimand that would turn into a fight. Thus, he became a ear and a shoulder to lean on. 

The rift was so large between the couple he spent half the night whether or not he even need to be there. Half way through Zareen walked away to chat up some patrons.

“I apologize,” Zandy appeared at his elbow, “she always has business on the brain.”

“Quite alright. What is it that she does?” Lying was more pleasurable than anything he ever did in bed.

“You don’t keep up with the news, do you?”

“Is there something to keep up with?I thought I could get all my news from intelligent people like yourself.”

The compliment went unnoticed by the nurse. 

“Oh, the news today is as personalized as one's phone. The truth is just another gaudy thing to show off to prove one's own superiority.

“On a less dreadful note,  she works in law. Currently, she's working on a human's rights case for disabled  wards of the state. It's gotten some attention, which, as always, goes straight to her head. If you look closely you can see the wrinkles of previous swellings.” 

He faked his best boisterous laugh.

“Sandy you are a riot! Tell me the nursing profession will have to mourn your loss as you pursue your career in entertainment. The world is missing out on such a observant and biting comic.”

Zandy scoffed. “You try a couple of decades of marriage and see what makes you.”

“Oh? trouble in Paradise?”

The nurse paused in reflective thought for a moment. “No, I wouldn't say that. It's more like paradise keeps running out of clean towels. Every night you coming back from the beach and the two of you have to fight over the last one. Paradise is still Paradise, it's just the gleam has worn off. Little polish will fix it right back up.” She added under her breath, “At least I hope so.”

“You know maybe you two need a little vacation. A chance to polish up Paradise, and all the clean towels you could ever want. I have a cousin that manages a hotel chain. I'll be more than happy to set you up. Get you a discounted rate.Not that I'm trying to insinuate anything. I just never known anyone to turn down free money.”

“Oh, not at all. I didn't think anything of it. It would be nice to get out of the house. We had a recent break-in. I was home at the time. The whole business has left me very unnerved. Not to mention the stress of work and the adoption process.” 

“That’s right, the one at the hospital. I bet she’s amazing. If only I could meet her.”

“The hospital is always looking for volunteers,” the nurse supplied automatically, but to the attorney's ear it sounded like a dodge.

the evening was turning late, patrons were turning in their champagne flutes, and heading towards the door. Zandy looked around to see if she could find her errand wife, and spotted her cozying up with a rather young looking woman who is  head was thrown back in laughter, exposed cleavage jiggling with the force. Her eyes narrowed her lips thin.

“I can't believe it,” Zandy scoffed. “Here we were supposed to be your guests as proof of gratitude for your deeds, and Reenie turns this into a business trip, and it half looks like she's visiting the candy shop.”

“Oh, I'm sure it's not what it looks like,” assured Bob. “  Sandy, any red lipstick smudged let me get that for you.” Without waiting for permission, he took out a tissue and  wiped the corner of her mouth. “There much better.”

“Thank you, Bob. at least some people still remember their manners.

“Are you going straight home after this, or were you going to get something to eat?”

“ I-”

An overly polite voice with an edge to it, spoke behind them. “There you two are! I thought you were right behind me, then I turned around and you were gone!”

“Yeah, you looked real worried.”  Zandy said rolling her eyes.

“Of course! You never know what kind of sinister figures creep in the night after all! are you ready to go home sweetie?”

“Actually, I was just asking Bob what his plans were.”

“I'm sure Bob is very tired and wants to go home. After all, those burgers don't flip themselves on a Saturday morning.”

“I'm a lawyer, thanks. I was going to go to one of my favorite coffee shops and grab a quick bite and something hot and then head home. I'd love it if you were able to join me.” He kept his eyes locked on Zandy.

“Well, she can't.” She took the brunette's arm. “We have other plans. come on, sugar cakes. We’ve got to make sure no one stole the car while we were in here.”  Rhe was practically dragging her away. However, Zandy had other ideas and freed herself.

“Reenie, you're being rude. He asked if we would like to go and get something before going home. You've spent the whole evening ignoring both of us, you can spend twenty minutes grabbing tea and a croissant.”

“ I don't want a croissant. I want to go home and talk to my wife about our appointment next week. there's a lot of things that we have to talk about beforehand.”

“It can wait a little bit!  You're making a scene”

“Honey, this ain't a scene. If I want a scene I can make a scene. Now are you coming or not?”

“If you're going to act like this then, no!  I'll go with Bob to make up for your or abhorred behavior, and then I can meet you back at home.” she walked over to Bob side.

“Really? The appointment is more for you than it is for me!  I came out tonight because you wanted me to, and now you don't even want to go home when I do! Fine! get your own ride and unlock your own door! I don't even want to talk to you when you get home!”

Bob had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling like the cat that caught the canary. Everything was going according to plan.  

_ Meanwhile in the Stony Point jail… _

“I’m telling ya man, soon my uncle is going to get out and I’m gonna drowning in seed and dicks!” The young man had turned it a daily mantra. His cellmate had his own manta.

“Boy, shut the fuck up! Clean the toilet!”

“There ain’t no brush!”

A newly used toothbrush that had been own his cot.

“Here, now  shut your ass, and scrub my shit!”

…………

_ Dear Apalite, _

_ I was elated to receive your communication about a possible adoption for Peridot. I spoke to her the other day about it. The potential parents have been in contact with her for a while now. She is conflicted about the situation. Listening to her, she is hesitant to say she wants to be adopted at all. As mentioned before she is a bright child who is aware of her challenging situation. It sounds like she is holding on to guilt of forming close relationships only to have those relationships end quickly and tragically.  _

_ After speaking to her mental health team, they have made the noted in the treatment summary. They are pleased that she has formed bonds with the Zircons. Notes from her school indicated that her autism, and disadvantaged upbringing hindered her from creating meaningful and healthy relationships. They have been working to have Peridot  socialize more with the other patients. There hasn’t been much success. _

_ While I would like nothing else than for every special needs child found a home filled with the love they deserve, I am no stranger to the universal truth  that not every parent is equipped to care for them.  _

_ She is moving to hospice this week.  _

_ No parent is prepared for a child that needs a casket to be brought home the first time.  _

_ -Dr. Jo-Jo  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need more fun. On unrelated note, I started The Well of Loneliness.


	16. Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a bad day.

There was no point in going home. Only a tiresome fight waiting for her. The hospital was her escape. She woke up early that evening with a crick in her neck from the worn cot countless people had shared. A stale pot of coffee sat in the lounge. Hunting only revealed missing lunches and bits of broken crackers. Still,there is no point in starting her shift early, she already knew it was going to run late. instead she went down to the front desk to greet the more colorful nurses.

Sitting at the end of the desk was a rather large and colorful bouquet of flowers, she was told they were for her and have been waiting all day. But they couldn't be from Reenie. Despite the great many decades together, she still found apologizing to be tantamount to climbing Mount Everest. Even when she could admit she was wrong, the words would cause her tongue to swell so that she tripped over them and could really get them out un-mutilated. And as night's fight was nowhere near finished.

There was a card attached to the flowers.

_ Dear Sandy, thank you for the wonderful evening. I hope these flowers bring a smile to your face like the one that has been on my mine ever since last night. I apologize if anything I did upset you or your charming partner. _

_ Eternally yours, Bob. _

“Oh no,” she moaned.

“What? Those flowers have been sitting for you for hours. Girl, I was about to take them home. Did that honey of a wife of yours not get you the right shade of lilac?”

“No, that's just it. These aren't from my wife.”

“Gasp! you've got a side Hustle? or I have to hear all about that!”

“No! no! No!  there's nothing!  they're from this guy who turned my wedding ring.  I thought he was just nice, but now this is too much. Every knee catches me with these... I don't even want to think about it! we were just getting back to something that was halfway normal.  I'm taking these up to pediatrics. The kids can have them, I don't want them anywhere near me.”

“There goes my chance to come home with a lovely bouquet,” side the on-duty nurse. 

***

There is warm light everywhere. It even filled her body, she felt as if she could float away. There is no pain. There is no tiredness, and everything was so beautiful it made her eyes water. Out of the light a figure approached her. It looks like a large woman with long, fluffy strawberry blonde hair riding a pink lion. Peridot thought briefly how much a hair resembled a cloud and she longed to lay in it. Then she shook her head. What a silly thought! She knew clouds are made out of condensed water vapor. It would not be soft and pleasant. It would be cool and wet and she would fall. Even though this person was a stranger, somehow Peridot knew that she was friendly, so it didn't surprise her at all when the woman stopped and greeted her.

“Hello, Peridot. Welcome home.”

“Home,” she questioned. No place had ever been home. Not the foster families who are always worried about their delinquent charges. Not the orphanage where all she had was a cot in a blanket to call her own. Not even school where at the end of the day just bleakly reminded her how she didn't belong to anyone. And yet, staring at this person  who smiled so warmly there was no question in her mind did this was finally home. A place away from the loneliness. Away from the doctors and the needles. Away from the kids that would tease and shun her. Here she was truly free. 

“Yes. Hop on let me show you around.” the woman offered her a big chubby hand that was a very soft. It wasn't at all like the cold rough hand of her night nurse. They rode around a bit in silence mostly, looking around at all the fantastic things that her young mind had no words to describe. She was conscious of the happiness swelling in her breast. After while, the woman spoke to Peridot again.

“So? What do you think?”

“It's perfect. Is this really where I get to stay?”

The woman chuckled a good-humored way.  “Yes, Peridot, you get to stay here forever. If that's what you choose.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it. We have everything you could ever possibly want, but very soon there's someone who's going to offer you something else entirely different. You'll have to choose between this place and them.”

_ This place and them?  _ Then she remembered when she had forgotten. As wonderful as this place was it was missing one thing one thing she knew wasn't going to be there no matter how far, or how long she looked. The image of her tired and haggard night nurse appeared before her. The one person that had seemed genuinely interested in her. Someone that didn't see her as a tragedy case, as a freak, as an academic misfit, as a name on a list. But that wasn't quite true. There's another person that saw her just  as who she was. Now the visage of the smug blond child-wife appeared. All the other adults in her life had coddled her, had treated her like an ignorant child. Reenie hadn't. In her own way, Reenie had treated her as an intellectual equal. She had challenged her, and even when the day came that she had lost her hair, it didn't change how Reenie behaved towards her. In fact, she'd even offered the love of her life and her home.

The warm light turned cold and hard,  shrinking deep in her chest. Those were her parents. The ones she thought she could never have. The ones she thought she would have to give up to another child one that was healthier, one that wasn't as strong as her, so they could have a normal life. Something denied of her at birth.

“The woman spoke again, “So you love them, and you’re in love with the Earth. I can tell. But you have to know Peridot, that if you choose to go with them you may not be able to return to this place.”

That confused her. Wasn't a home where your family was?

“I still don't understand. What exactly is this place?”

“I told you, this is home. Where all things start and all things  end.”

“So why can't Zandy and me come here?”

“Your faithful nurse may find her way here, she didn't choose the way she is. however your lawyer came here a long time ago and was given the choice you will soon be given. She chose to stay knowing she might never come back. I believe it's only fair that everyone be well informed before making that decision. It breaks my heart to think of all the people, like your nurse who had that choice taken away from them.”

“What do you mean? What choice? What happened to Reenie?!”

“I'm afraid we're out of time.”

A bolt of lightning shot through Peridot’s chest.

“What?! I'm not done! I need answers!”

The lightning shot again, scorching her tender flesh. The place of light started to fade away. Peridot fought to stay in it, but the lightning grew tighter around her and dragged her down. Through darkness absolute, she travels the pain increased her body grew heavier. Existence was misery. Then she could see nothing. She was terrified. It took all her strength to open her  eyes. When she did she found herself surrounded by doctors and nurses one holding their finger over a button. Everyone stood anxiously down on her. The sounds are muffled like she was at the bottom of a pool trying to hear everyone at the top. She thought someone say heartbeat and breathing were stable, but it could easily have been the horses were left out of the stable. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to give up. 

_ **** _

“Calling to beg for-”

“Get your conceded, delusional, paranoid, indulgent, fine piece of ass over here, now! She died! Cardiac arrest; they brought her back!”

Reenie didn't know if she felt scared insulted confused or turned on, so she settled for shocked.

“It's seven in the morning,” she rebuttal weakly.

There is a click in the front line went dead. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, I had something like that happen to me. The sound faded, and I went blind. Thankfully, I was in a hospital talking to a nurse at the time. Rose Quartz is Jesus!


	17. Our Savior Pie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Peridot Jesus? What will she do with the Zircon's secret?

_ “ _ It’s needs to be done!”

“You heard them, everything is stuck! If she was better-“

“She isn’t going get better! It’s now or never!” 

The child tried to sit up, but Had no strength.

“Sandy? Reenie? What are you doing here?”

“Peri! You're awake, thank God!”

“Hey kid, you everyone scared. Good news is, now you’re Jesus.”

“Reenie! She is not Jesus!”

“She's just as much of a messiah as Jesus. She died and she came back, and she's as cute as a button and could have thousands of followers. I wouldn't follow her out into the desert but to a library sounds about right..”

“You have all the tack of a greased up baby!” nurse Sandy pinched her nose in frustration.

“So I did die,” Peridot said matter-of-factually. “ Wasn't so bad.”

“Oh Peri!” the nurse took her small cold hand  into her own. 

Peridot looks at the blond who stood with her hands shoved deep in her pockets.

“I met someone. She said you went there, that you had to do something. What was it?”

“Huh? What kind of medicines do they have you on? I don't know what you're talkin’ about.”

“The lady with the pink hair. She wore a long flowing dress and she rode on top of a pink lion. She knew lots of things, but she couldn't tell me everything. I came back too soon.”

“Honey,”  soothed Zandy, “It was probably just a dream. Strange things happen to the brain when it's deprived of oxygen. I'm sure it was nothing. Now I'm sure you're hungry, even if you don't feel it right now. You've been through a lot and  you need to recover. Why don't you tell us what you would like? It can be anything. So long as it doesn't interfere with anything on your chart.”

The lawyer had turned towards the door, shuffling back and forth on her feet.

“Yeah squirt, our treat. I'll even bring you a toy or something. Flowers?  Chocolate? Giant space lasers? I don’t know what the girls are into these days.”

“ I don't want anything. I just want to know what happened to Reenie. She said Zandy wasn't given the choice in the matter.”

A nurse was giving her a very concerned look. She soothed the young girl’s brow.

“Sweetheart, it's over now. Let's focus on what we can do right now. Like getting you something yummy.  What about your favorite pancakes and pie?”

“I don’t want, anything,” Peridot insisted. “I want to talk to Reenie.” Hastily she added, “Alone. I know I don’t have a lot of time, and there some things I want said.”

Zandy and Reenie exchanged looks, as if communicating with their eyes alone. Apparently, they couldn’t reach a conclusion, so the blonde shrugged.

“All right,” the brunette relented.” I'll step out and order us some stuff, but I'm just a shout away.”

“Don't worry, babe. I know how to behave. See if you can figure out when her caseworker it supposed to get here. I have a few things to talk to him about.”

A nod and an open door left empty later, and Reenie was left leaning against the wall opposite of her. Hand still shoved awkwardly into her pockets.

“So,um,  what did you want to talk about kid? If it's one of those kiddie shows I'll go ahead and tell you I haven't watched a children show since a certain mouse had a clubhouse .”

“What was the choice? The one you got to make so that you didn't go home. The ones Zandy didn't get to make for herself.”

The lawyer straightened up a little against the wall.

“Look, Peri, I'm not sure what you want from me .”

“I died today. I went to a place that felt like home. I've never known that feeling before. But I knew it was home. And there was a woman there, she knew things. Things no one else should know. I know you went there. So you must have died too. Tell me about it.”

“ Oh! Oh, that. I don't know. Zand's might get upset if I told you. See, I never told her about that. Figured it upset her something. It was a real long time ago. It doesn't matter now. What's done is done and there's no going back.”

“Did you regret it,” ask Peridot, having found her stuffed be she was now pulling at the wings.

The room was too cold to anyone's liking, Reenie turned up the thermostat.

“I'd like to say that it's possible to get through life without regret. I don't like to look back on things, it distracts from what's in front of me, but I be lying if I said  life didn't have its roadblocks; it's moments of sucking hardcore. So yeah, there are some days I wish I could avoid it all. Although, if you look at it from a number's point of view, the days I enjoyed vastly outnumber the ones I didn't.

“Mostly, I wish I wasn't such an impulsive dumbass when I was younger.”

Peridot snorted. “I knew you were a reckless jerk.”

“Yeah? Well, now I've got Zandy  to do all my worrying for me and you are going to have the benefit of all of my dumbassery. Although, I think you were always going to be smarter than I was you were going to avoid all that.”

“Yeah,” she said sadly.

An awkward silence reigned.

“So…. you like music?”

They were saved by Zandy's return to frantically reported that the food was ordered and on its way. She'd have to leave briefly, or send Reenie, down to the front to get it.

“Are you two finished with your conversation?”

“ Yeah,” Peridot reported. “I think I've said all I need to say, and now I have indisputable proof that Reenie, at least in her youth, was is a tremendous idiot.”

“Hey! You little punk!”

“It wasn't just in her youth. Reenie is the world record holder for the longest living idiot. At one point I was talking to a philosopher, that believed that with age comes wisdom. Reenie is living, breathing proof, but that is not always true.”

“If I'm such an idiot, then why did you marry me?”

“Clearly it was for your pants. Hard to find anyone who wears the same pant size as me.”

“A confession! She did it to get into my pants!”

The nurse giggled into her hand, and poor Peridot was terribly confused. 

When the alert came over an interface both women decided to go down and help carry up the food. Peridot thought it was odd that they took so much time to carry up a couple bags, but maybe whatever painkillers they had her on affected her sense of time. She didn't even have  strength to check on any of her blogs. When they returned the trio ate and engaged in lively conversation. It was as if Peridot nearly nibbling on her food wasn't even noticed. The couple stayed longer than usual. The child could hardly keep her eyes open when the gentle cadence of conversation slowed and softened until it's cessation. She opened her eyes to find her nurse perched on the end of her bed looking down with concerned eyes.

“Dottie, there's something we want to talk to you about, but it's a secret. We want to share it with you, but you absolutely cannot tell anyone else about it. We know you are mature enough to keep a secret, so we're trusting you with this one.”

The patient and rubbed her eyes and had to pull her hat back over her forehead. She wanted  to sit up. This sounded important.

“Let me show you something.” Zandy pulled up a photo of a large crowd cheering on the steps of some building. A professional looking blond woman stood behind a podium with old looking microphones in front of her, arms stretched skyward in victory. the headline red, “Love wins! Supreme Court rules gay marriage legal,” it was dated June 26, 2015.

“Why are you showing me some history page?”

“Look at the woman at the podium. Who does she remind you of?”

Peridot looked a little closer. Mentally, she criticized the ancient cameras that couldn't produce the superior images of modern-day equipment, but squinting she can make out some facial features.

“She looks like Reenie, I guess.”

“I'll pull up some other images.” More pictures were brought up, the background was identical, but the woman was a dead ringer for the obnoxious blond. Peridot looked suspiciously from the images to the accused still standing in the room.

“So she looks like some dead  woman. What are you trying to say?”

“That woman is  Reenie. You can even look it up the woman who argued for four hours in front of the Supreme Court was named Zareen Mutra-Diamond. If you look up a marriage license issued the very next day in Arlington County, Washington one was issued to one Zareen Mutra-Diamond and  Zandra Mutra-Diamond.

“We are a lot older than we look. We've looked this way for a very long time, because we're not entirely human.”

Peridot’s eyes grew big. It must have been the drugs, because she found all of this entirely too easy to accept. 

“Are you human alien-hybrids?!” she asked excitedly.

“ Maybe,” Renee Shrugged. “ I mean we never did quite figure out where vampires came from. Could have been space.”

“Vampires?”

“ Way to go Reenie. Once again the master of subtlety.”

“Meh,  we were going to get to it at some point. Although, I don't think vampires are really equipped for space travel.”

“ Well, cat's outta the bag now. Yes, we are vampires. At least I am. I need mammalian blood in order to survive. Reenie, though, doesn't. I sired her,  but instead of needing blood she produces more of it. She doesn't suffer in the sun sensitivity I do. Yet, she enjoys the same eternal youth I do. In fact, she actually aged backwards from when I turned her.”

“Yeah, I sported the same hairdo you do now for a couple months. When my hair grew  back it was the thick luscious name you see now. Although some days I missed the silver.”

“Oh that's right,”  recalled the nurse. “Your hair was going white. I kind of miss it too.”

“How am I supposed to believe all this? This could be some weird kind of cult.”

Zandy looked hurt.  Reenie shrugged it off.

“Fair enough, kid. Hey Zands, I want to show her your fangs?”

“I'm not really in the mood,” she weakly replied.

“ ‘kay. Let me see if I can remember.” 

The lawyer closed her eyes and seem to concentrate. she opened her eyes and her mouth at the same time. Sharpened bone white incisors  now extended past her lower teeth. Her pupils had dilated making her look like a kitten preparing to pounce on an unsuspecting sock.

Peridot reached out, beckoning for a closer examination. Reenie obliged, coming in joining her wife on the bed. The girl reached up, and ran her finger on the tooth, even grabbing it to verify it wasn’t a fake, much to Reenie discomfort.

“Why are you telling all this?”

Looking down at her hands, Zandy took a deep breath.

“I- We want to give you a choice. We can’t make any promises. Nothing like this has been tried before. That we know of.”

“We skip the big vamp balls. The capes chaff my neck,” supplied Reenie.

“But, if you like, we could try to turn you. Make you like us. Now, before you start, we don’t know if it cure you, stunt your growth or…”

“Leave you dead, like your current plans for the second grade,” picked up her wife.

“Reenie!”

“What? Oh. I mean third grade.”

This was really too much for the brunette’s head.

“Would you have to bite me?”

“No! We’d have to drain a lot of blood from you.”

“As I recall, that part super sucked. Feels like you’re dying.”

“And then you’ll have to drink either mine or Reenie’s blood. Then…? Something. Probably, definitely some thing.”

Bees only had to deal with heat and mites.

“So… worst case I die. Best case, I’m cured but have to drink blood and be a basement dweller forever.”

“In a roundabout way, yes. But, Reenie is fine. She just needs to be bled once a week or so.”

“I have a set up a home. It’s like a spa day.”

“So, if I take from Reenie I could be like her?”

The couple looked at each other.

“We don’t know. She’s never turned anyone, and we’ve never heard of other like her.

“Technically speaking, in the vampire circles, the one that turns you becomes your parent. So, since she’s my child, you can be my grandchild or her sister.”

Peridot crinkled her nose.

“Yeah, see? Another reason we don’t go to those mosquito parties. That and I’m just too pretty to be locked in a coat closet.”

“It’s a lot to take in. And the decision has to be yours and yours alone,” assured the vampire mother, patting Peridot’s head. “Take all the time you need. We’ll be here. In fact, you can have my contact. We just won’t use our real names.”

This time when Peridot fell asleep she was excited to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Reenie admires Dottie so much it scares her. Must be true love. Also, the one Peridot discord I went for research was clueless. I threw them in fandom jail.


	18. All in The Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Apa! lite and Bob’s lovable aunt! Reenie is being super cool too!

The sun was playing a bashful maid, peeking out  from the clouds only to be spotted and retreat into her palace. The plants  kept their faces high, desperate for a peek from their great love. Until such time, the water from their host gently bathe them in relief and they paid their bright foliage in return. 

Apalite had a lot of time these last couple of months with his plants, just tending their needs in meditation.  One of the few men of faith still left in a world of science, he had never faced a trial such as he received report of a bright, young girl in his charge  routinely falling asleep in class and making frequent trips to the nurse complaining of stomach pains and permanent bruises. Some days it was all too much. Even his boyfriend had started  complaining about the shifts in his character, but there was no escape, even in dreams, from the living nightmare. He had hoped. He had prayed, and nothing seem to work, but his faith told him that everything had a purpose. That left him spending his days alone cleaning his office or tending his plants and praying for a revelation or an end to the suffering. 

A few months ago he had thought he had seen a sign that his prayers were being answered, a sign of hope where science said there was none. He had lost count the number of times he had a read the incredible emails desperately. He tried to find some alternative motive in their words. 

This morning was the first of many meetings. There was a secret way he judged each potential family. Something that they wouldn't think of, but meant quite a bit to him.

He himself had been adopted into a large family. Three children including himself. Two sons and one bratty little sister who seemed determined to never grow up. He looked at their family portrait is it cycle through the many photos he had taken around the world. It was a happy life, although there was an inescapable feeling that something was missing. It wasn't as if he was treated any difference then his biological classmates. In fact, there were many times he felt as if his life what's the one to be envied, but he felt as if though he was missing out on having an older sibling to look up to. A sister to talk to his younger sister in their own language that was mysterious to him, probably because he didn't spend as much time online streaming as she did. But who knows. The Lord works in mysterious ways. His career was born from that sense avoid, and the love he had felt I'm his parents. His mother had taught him the importance of being punctual, how arriving early showed ones’ eagerness but could also be intrusive. How tardiness outside of five minutes allowance was a sign of a hectic and full mind, where no changes had room to take root. 

With that in mind, he kept a timer open on his interface to see how long it took potential parents to get to his office. Often those who were child-free, in late an excess of half an hour would never when his approval, as these people found coping with sudden parenthood too daunting and would fail out of the fostering stage. It was the secret method that had helped him climb to his respected rank. And even though he was very eager to see a little break of happiness for this one child, he knew the disappointment of rejection become much more keenly if it was her potential new family rejecting her instead of him rejecting them.

He straightened his suit, checked his cacti, opened the door and prepared to wait. There was still half an hour before the appointment. He opened his calendar and heard the lobby door open. Two stately women fell in. The blonde held open the door for the other, who was covered head to foot in unseasonably warm attire. He couldn’t see much of her under the broad brim hat and oversized sweater sunglasses. There were even gloves that disappeared into long billowing sleeves. 

He rose and came to the doorway to greet them.

“Zircons?”

The pair lifted their heads. The blonde stepped forward in front of her partner to introduce herself. 

“Zareen Zircon. Nice to finally meet you in the flesh. You’ll have to excuse my wife. She has a rare condition that makes her extremely sensitive to sunlight.”

“Oh my stars! My apologies!”

He engaged the blockers. 

“If you had mentioned it before hand I would have been better prepared. I kept them open for my plants. Gifts from my brother, you see. Please have a seat.” 

The couple sat, and the cloaked one lowered her glasses revealing a stunning pair of aqua eyes. They had to be fake. 

“They’re lovely. You and your brother must have big hearts.”

Her beauty tied his tongue up. 

“Uh, um, like. Plants. My brother grows them and has to divide them. It’s therapeutic to tend them.”

“No wonder they look so good.” Zareen spoke, drawing his attention. Now he noticed her lion-like gold eyes. An odd pair. “Can’t be too many jobs as stressful as yours.”

“Well,” he grabbed a stylus, “ I imagine being a company owner and high power lawyer comes with its fair share of stress.”

“I thrive under stress. I makes me hardes. Plus, I own half the company. Can’t make the boss made if I am the boss.”

“So, your a business owner, as well. That must demand quite a bit of your time.” He jotted something down.

“I’ve pulled a sixteen hour or two. I try to limit it to nine most days. I know the little lady is keeping the fort down.”

“Oh? You’re a night nurse, Sandy?”

“Yes, because I love working with the patients, but I’m fully prepared to put that on pause to take care ot Dottie full time. I’m the other owner of the company so, I have a generous cushion.”

“I see. Do you have a background in child care?”

“Well-“

So the long interview proceeded for two hours. To his credit, Apalite had a skill at making feel like a conversation where only one party did any sharing. It was challenging as several times he wanted to shout him agreement at something the more maternal of the two had said. The meeting concluded with a promise that he would be contacting them in a week to let them know if they had approval to proceed with the foster stage. 

“Oh, I’m so nervous,” exclaimed Zandy when Reenie had the car bring itself around. “I thought it well enough, but the whole situation is such a mess! Why must there be so much red tape?! I’d think the state would be happy enough someone wanted to pay her bills.”

“Fangs,” Reenie whispered as she reached out from the protection of the porch cover to open the door for her wife.

“Oh bother!” A hand went to cover her shame. “It wasn’t showing during the meeting?”

“Nah,” the car started back up when the belts were fastened. “So, you’re planning on divorcing me.”

****

Everyday was the same old thing. He had been working for his aunt’s law firm ever since the Fateful day he received final confirmation that his life’s plan had been aborted by one bastard too high own her fumes. No one would dare think of firing him. He spent half the day working on his own projects and the other half goofing off, but he was still the sharpest mind in the firm, with an enchanting charisma that had every client eating out of his hand.

“Bob, you ass. That worthless nephew of yours is still getting his ass pounded in jail, so before he starts to enjoy it, what are you going to do about it? I’m not paying you six figures a year to grow your nose hair and post about it on the DickFlixs.”

“He is your son. I would think you would be more personally invested.”

“He’s a dumbass like his clit chewing father. I’m more interested in my money, since that won’t pull the plug on me.”

“Always the charmer. Is that a new botox injection I see?”

“If we weren’t related I’d tell you to stop kissing my ass and start eating it. Files, Bob, files.”

“On your desk waiting for your eagle eye approval.”

“‘Bout time. See that you put in an honest day’s work for once,” she grumbled in passing.

“You got it boss!” Without skipping a beat he continued scrolling through size nine rings that were high in fire and low in price.

A couple of respected restaurants had been reserved in his name, but he hadn’t heard back from Sandy since he had those flowers. There was a sense of Time slipping away from him. If-  _ If  _  the adoption went well it could throw a major bug in the works. Not that the brat a Replication chance in hell. If only she’d hurry up and bite it. One less leach on the system.

He pulled up his favorite hate pic. Zareen Mutra-Diamond the first. Everything a congressman did, she did in half the time in high heels with a quick joke. It was his background all through the LSATS and law school. Now he believed she had a secret partner that did half the work. If he could go back he would expose her for the fraud she was, but instead he had this to contend with.

It had been too long. Opening up he comm log he sent a message.

_ Hey, Sandy, _

_ I haven’t heard from you in a while. I feel terrible about the other evening. Did you get my package? I’d love to treat to dinner or breakfast sometime. _

There! Not so needy to tip her off, but enough to stoke suspension.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the future bigotry is still a thing. I couldn’t help but make Apa aware of other time and place. Let’s ship them!


	19. Love, Divorce, and Zmut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zircons talk about divorce and Peri learns about zmut.

The wind was knocked out of her, like a rugby player had bowled her into the ground. 

“Divorce?” It felt like a curse on the tip of her tongue. “What makes you say that?”

Zareen had her hands on the wheel pretending to drive. 

“You know what! That “I own half the company and have my own cushion” bullshit! You practically broadcasted a future divorce! I worked marriage law, I know how this goes!”

“Reenie-“

“Don’t “Reenie” me! Is all this just so you can get that kid and run off to Switzerland?!”

“Yes! I spent hours on the dark web looking for a vampire couples counselor to spank your ass, have you like a dying orphan so I can divorce you, and take my money to Switzerland! Which, I will remind you, I doubt we are even still legally married as we may have forgotten to renew our license after we were declared legally dead!”

Zareen was shocked by the level of unleashed sarcasm and had to sit for a second.

“I mean…. It’s a nice ass.”

“It doesn’t smack like it used to,” Zandy was still heated, sitting with arms and legs crossed.

“It’s covered with love marks.”

“Well! I liked it so I marked it!”

The blonde pinched her nose. With a voice command she switched to the long way home. There was a ton of cars, but they were moving. As the building thinned so did the people. The sound of the wind cooled fevered thoughts.

“It just all snowballed. What happened?” She was never good at this, and relied on her partner to make sense of it.

The brunette worried her wedding band.

“I think… I feel… Well… I thought you were getting bored. I know I have been. I guess living two hundred and some decades it happens. But it seemed like we only had sex to feed and I worried that you would “feel like a fuckable milkshake,”” the lawyer could hear her own venom filled voice spew those words more than once, “so I stopped. Then we started growing distant. We fought over everything, even things that didn’t happen. It was talking to dead air. I got tired of it all.”

The car was set to auto climate, but it wasn’t cutting it, and the thinker turned hers lower. Now there were carpets of burned grass whizzing by. A ribbon of charcoal  snaking up and over the hills only to slip down and kiss the asphalt river.

“I was getting bored. The vacations, the big purchases, the early mornings, I was trying to feel again. Every year felt the same. We got busy, and when you-”

A notification sounded. 

“Who’s messaging you? If it’s work, ignore it.”

“It might be Dottie.” Eagerly, the opened the screen. “Oh, fuck! It’s just, Bob. I can’t tell if he’s that nice or that dense.”

“Mm.”She knew what kind of slime Bob was. It was just odd he was working her wife to get a job. It was no secret theirs was the best  law firm in the world. 

She smiled.

“Let’s go spoil our baby.”

****

The advantage of being in ICU was they no longer forced her to participate in group activities. The disadvantage was that she saw a therapist everyday. She had no use for someone whose job it was to make her talk about her feelings while coaxing her with games. 

All of her free time was spent researching vampires; sticking to historical documents as contemporary works seemed….less than factual. 

““Um, you should know, that I have a condition.”

“Is it multi-personality disorder, because last week you couldn’t wait to get in my panties.”

“What? Panties? What are they-? Huh? Wha-? Oh my stars!” Her interface was closed and she called a nurse to help her clean herself.

Even her staff had noticed her new obsession and chalked it up to be a coping mechanism. After all, who won’t want to live forever?

The research wasn’t gaining much traction. It really couldn’t be that her caring, sweet, competent nurse stole blood bags and lured people into dark alleys to rip open their-!”

Her face burned. She tried to slap some sense into it.

“Focus, Peri! You don’t have time to be embarrassed by simple biological-

“Hot cakes!” A voice sang out as the door opened. She scrambled to close the screens as her heart raced to pound out her chest. “We’ve got hot cakes!”

“Most people knock.”

“Most people are boring. I have hot cakes. Peri, you awake?”

“Yes!” She squeaked still trying to keep her heart in her ribs. “You nearly induced cardiac arrest!”

The nurse rushed to her side to check her over.

“Huh?” Shrugged the bringer of heart pain and hot cakes.

“A heart attack,” snapped her wife. “What I had to live with for years.”

“Eh?” Reenie cocked her head to the side still not understanding why she wasn’t being buried in praise and compliments. Her confusion was met by twin glares.

“You look fine; no murmur. I can still order a scan.”

“No, I just need to calm down.”

“It’s no trouble.”

“No, trouble? We went to five places before we found her favorite.” Reenie scoffed before she dumped the lauded hotcakes on the bed. “Your welcome.” She held herself waiting for the wave of gratitude. Peridot looked at them, then the blonde, and finally her nurse.

“Thank you, Sandy.”

“You’re very welcome. I hope you like them.”

“Hey! Hello? I drove! It was my idea to visit!”

“I guess you and the child aren’t eating,” Peridot remarked, further irking the world’s richest lawyer.

“Why not? We were going to eat after you picked out what you wanted. Despite herself, Reenie does have manners.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?! I invented Eddy Quick!”

“It’s etiquette,” Corrected her wife.

“Don’t use your fancy language on me! I learned Latin, Russian, and some other stuff.”

“As did I.” Zandy draped a napkin over the patient’s lap. “Plus English isn’t even my second or third language. Though I doubt I can pass now in days. Things change so much.”

“Do they?” asked Peridot through her hot cake. 

“Oh yeah, it’s astounding what the future has brought,” wistfully sighed the oldest.

The hot cake melted in Peri’s mouth  as she tried to phrase her not words just right.

“Speaking of-. We spoke to Apie this morning. Nothing official yet, but if history has taught me anything it’s don’t argue with a seagull.”

“What?”

“I mean, sometimes- Just sometimes!” she emphasized to her smug nurse, “ the law is slow and stupid, so if you wait too long you lose the precious things. So we got you a little something.” 

Out of her handbag, Reenie pulled out a slender box. 

“You didn’t really-” She glanced at Zandy who was doing a poor job hiding her grin behind her fist. She open the hinge and found resting on a bed of crushed velvet, a golden chain held a jeweled bee flying towards a flower with a brilliant grassy gem surrounded by petals of paling yellow and blue gems. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever saw!” Her voice soft with awe, she found it was big on her and could easily slip it on and off without disturbing the clasp. 

“Oh! I knew you’d love it!” Zandy hugged her despite herself.

“Yeah, I can still pick ‘em.” The queen has her crown back and was fit to crow.

“Thank you. You really shouldn’t have.”

“Nonsense, we’re childless vampires; we have nothing back but time and money. Oh! And grudges! Right, Reenie?”

“You got it! I was thinking of murdering you when we got home.”

“Me too!”

The couple laughed, while Peridot turned the bracelet around her wrist. 

“About that, I had some questions about it. Being a vampire.”

“Ask away.”

****

Zandy was exhausted, queasy, had a pounding headache, and extremely happy by the time they came home. She needed to eat, but it felt like a string hung between them was glowing in the dark house, a thin beam of morning light suspended in the air.

She knew her fangs were showing, but she hoped it wouldn’t matter.

“So, um, I know it’s late-.”

“One, yeah I should get lunch.” The blonde stretched her arms over head.

“Yeah, but after or-r b-before did you want to- we don’t have to-”

“I’m horny. Wanna fuck?”

“Yes!”

“Cool. Just a quickie.” But instead of working her own buttons, Reenie walked out of her shoes over to her wife, and started unwrapping her one fold at a time. It had been so long since such care had been given to her or her things. Every article folded and placed on the counter. She dare breath for risk of bursting the bubble around them.

Her wife snorted.

“What?”

“You still wear corsets. Hasn’t it been a hundred plus years since anyone had too?” She turned her predatory gleam on the bashful face, unlacing the stays without attending them.

“It was a special day. Besides you know I like tight things.”

“Like my ass?”

“Li-Lick- I mean like!”

“You mean lick. Just like in Monaco when I won my case and you had to lick ice cream off of it, and then my tight, hard pussy.” She pulled her closed, practically purring.  

“That guy was a duke and you screamed so hard they almost asked us to leave.” Scorching hands soothed the marks on her ribs.

“You mean you screamed so hard.”

“No, that was you half off the bed, leaving bruises in my-”

Her interface buzzed. 

“Not now!” The blonde was already checking it.

“It’s Bob. Do you want to answer?”

“No! If it’s not Dottie I’m too busy to bother! 

“I am busy, right?”

“All tied up I’m afraid.”

“Tied?” The lawyer removed her tie and looping it around the other’s neck and using it to guide her to Court. 

“Oh yes. I need to eat for lunch, but I like it so raw it’s still wriggling.” 

Her head was spinning. Was this really happening?  She was led to the stirrups and kissed her backwards onto the device. Automatically, she lifted  her arms over her head, silk slithered across her skin, and embraced her wrists. She let out a shuddering sigh of exalted relief.  Lips pressed themselves over her brow, down her dark circles, around her neck, and between her breast.

Looking up, those golden eyes were warm, a fire to greet her after a long day in the winter’s cold. Then they were gone. Assuming Reeine went to bring the harness so she could ride her, she lifted her leg in anticipation and was shocked to have it secured to a stirrup.

“Reenie?”

“Hm?” she hummed while strapping in the other leg.

“What’s the plan here?”

“You eat. I eat. Then we’ll see what happens from there.”

“But… it takes so long. You threw out your hip and you jaw once.”

“I’ve learned my lesson. Your’s is safe that takes a deft hand,” she answered, shedding her clothes and straddle Zandy’s waist, softly grinding her rear over her partner’s thighs and curls. Then she ran her hands over the pronounce ribs and perk breasts, rubbing and soothing the cool flesh. The brunette was relaxed by the touches and excited by the bony points that emerged from Reenie’s flushed lips. “You look cute all tied up. My little vampire bat.”

“So you don’t hate me?”

“Oh I hate you.” She brought her wrist to her mouth. “Just like I hate me.” Using her fang like a razor, she cut deep so the velvet rich liquid flowed. The pain rolled her eyes back with a flutter and her thighs clenched. Holding her arm over Zandy she delighted in dripping a macabre face painting, watching her wife keep her mouth close while her nostrils flared.

After she her art was finished to her satisfaction, she commanded the mouth go open and feed. Each teasing drop flamed each other’s appetite. In her emerald bonds, the hunger twisted, wanting to claim and gorge. When she lifted up, a single finger pushed her back.

“Naughty, naughty. You’ll spoil it.”

“Don’t you always skip straight to dessert?”

She offered her wound to be licked.

“Thanks for reminding me.”

Coiling down the prone form, she open fuzzy petals, sucking on the tiny nib that forced her walls clench. The firm circle around it made her want to squeeze her legs together to intensify to cease the sensation. It only grew when gentle vibration was added, the tongue off to reclaim the silken chamber.  The buzzing filed her had invaded her skull. The moaned and cursed for several minutes, sometime it never ended. It was so consuming she didn’t notice when slick fingers replaced the tongue and slowly pumped deep inside.

When she finally came it was with a squeak and a mini thrust in the air, but she still gulped down air like a fish.

“Gimme a minute,” she gasped as sh was freed, “then I’m fucking you so hard.”

“I’m counting on it,” Reenie smirked.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe the shameless trash people put on the internet? You too can read the same garage as Peri!


	20. "Isn’t it a orgasmic day?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tits, tits, tits, tits. Ass, ass, ass, ass, ass. Tits. Ass. Tits. Ass. Asshole!

The slap of raw flesh created a rhythm with water that crushed over stone. Steam curled towards the veiled moon who silently watch the whole scene unfurl listening to the screams of the woman.

“Don’t! Stop! Oh God! It’s so hard!” 

A smear of crimson appeared on her inner thigh and was lapped by the waves. Her nails had been snapped off on the textured concrete as she clawed it against the onslaught.

“You’re choking me!”

The assault didn’t flag. 

“You’re choking me!” the woman insisted.

The pounding picked up speed.

“I said, “you’re choking me!”” she complained. “Get your hand on my neck!”

“Reenie, I can’t when I’m tapping your ass!” The assaulter huffed through her work. The hot tub made it hard to keep her grip even if they used the edge for support.

“Aw come on! Just press it in!”

“Not unless I can see your face, needy tart!”

“Call me a bitch!”

“Fuck-hole bitch!”

“Yes! Give it to me!”

“What do you think I’ve been doing!”

“Pull out!”

Frustrated that her prunes had prunes, she pulled the strap-on out at a less than ideal angle. The pain inspired Reenie to slap her across the tits and face. Then Zandy kissed her so hard their teeth clashed and the pain went through their skulls.

“We’re a mess.”

“I love it.” The blonde snaked her legs around her wife’s waist, then reached down to switch on the vibrator suctioned to her clit. “Big, sloppy chaos that bore the acid of life,” she whispered hotly embracing her lover. 

“Are you saying you want to be a mommy?”

“You can be my daddy and I’ll be mommy. Now choke me!”

Zandy sighed.

“Clit for brain. Only because I love you.” While her wife wiggle towards completion she used her left hand to apply pressure to the sides of her neck, just under the jaw. Her left hand was weaker and had her wedding band she could use it was a gauge. Just the lightest of touches.

“Yes! Harder!”

The glutton couldn’t be trusted. She shifted her other hand and gripped the rounded flesh. Rennie’s breath, already ragged became high pitched before her mouth dropped in a silent wail, eyes rolling skyward.

“There. Happy?”

“I just creamed so fucking hard. Dude, I lost count.” The blonde melted into her wife’s weary arms. 

“No more masseuse?”

“Who?”

****

“Coral, we didn’t call you, so why are you here?” The secretary glared up at the hunk of muscle and incense stink that was leaning over her desk.

“Personal call, cutie.” The red head winked. “You never showed up at my place, so I had to come in and make sure your leg wasn’t broken.”

The proximity of this mass of well chiseled, bewitching eyed-

“I told you I have a boyfriend!” Axinite exclaimed, face scarlet.

“Right, so I’m doing a two for one special. A couple’s message for the price of a solo. It’s very popular, muy romántico.” She leaned closer making it obvious that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Axinite clenched her thighs together and pushed away from her desk.

“My boobs are fine! Thank you!”

The masseuse chuckled deeply.

“Back! My back is fine!” The prayed for Death.

“Hey, I don’t fix anything. I just knead until you-”

The door opened and the boss sauntered in with a song on her lips.

“Ms. Zircon! Coral’s here. Did you want to schedule an hour with her?”

“Nope! I’m goody good! Isn’t it a orgasmic day?” 

When the blonde disappeared into her office Axinite gave the masseuse a “what ja gonna do” shrug and went to make her escape.

“See you and you boo Saturday,” parted Coral to further stir her ire. Once inside she found a lawyer who came to conquer. 

About lunch time the phone rang for the  twentieth time.

“Diamond Law Firm, this is Axinite, how may I assist you?”

“Yes? This is Apalite, I was looking for a Mrs. Zareen Zircon? Is she available?”

“What is this concerning?”

“I’m calling from Angel Hearts. She should be expecting my call.”

While he has been talking her system had traced his number, verified his identity and compared it to an active list of high priority numbers that could speak directly to the CEO.

“Yes, I see you have clearance for a direct call-”

The door flew open and Zareen rushed out as she closed her call interface.

“Miss! It’s that call you’ve been expecting from Apalite!”

“Forward it to my personal and send a driver to my house to pick my wife.”

At the hospital she jumped out and let the car park itself and whipped around to find her vampire. The messages had petered out when her driver alerted their arrival. She couldn’t imagine that they had gotten very far. Just down the sidewalk she spotted the back of a wide brim hat held in place with  a jeweled antique pin. The woman was trying to walk away but the man talking to her had a hold of her and wasn’t letting go.

Zareen activated the recorder on stealth mode and charged over. The man saw her coming, recognition flashed over his features. His voice seem to raise up over the breeze coming off the parking lot.

“Bring her with us! I’ve always wanted to be a father! A family honeymoon! Just the three of us.”

Before the woman could answer he yanked her into an embrace kissing her. Zareen grabbed her by the waist and pulled her backed from the grasping hold. 

“Excuse me, Steve, I believe the lady said no.”

“You don’t you what she says behind your back!”

“I know she isn’t into men, Bill.”

“My name is Bob! Bob Cabrão !”

“Thank you. And your work ID?” 

“Two seven seven-! What?!”

Taking the recording of stealth, Zareen squared her shoulders to look down her proud nose.

“I like to have a full registrar when I fill out police forms for sexual harassment and assault, then sue them for punitive damages until they have to move in with a college student from the Republic of Congo. But I can start by having you banned from this hospital for the rest of your insignificant life.”

The weight of her words threaten to bend his spine, but it wasn’t about coming out unscathed. It was sowing the one seed that would bury through the cracks and bring the ruin of the woman who already stole his life from him.

“Did she tell you about the ring?”

Zareen stayed just long enough to see the fear in his eyes, then turned back to her wife.

“You want to say anything, sweetie?”

Zandy shook herself out of her shock.

“See you in court! It’ll be Mrs. Zircon vs. Asshole! 

“Let’s go, mi sol!” she smacked the blonde on her bum and the two entered the hospital.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An interesting structure, no? And, um, Coral had Latin grannies now.  
> Coral X Axinite Another Quandisa ship you didn't know you wanted but now will never have enough of! Remember, an ass pat a day keeps the divorce away.


	21. Code Pink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot goes home.

“You know we can’t guarantee this will work. We can’t promise anything.” Zandy was sitting on the edge of bed resting a hand on the covered outline of a bootie. “And should it work you’ll be stuck with us. Maybe forever.”

“You said all that before. Several times, in fact.”

“Hey, you should have heard her with me before we even knew if it would work.” Reenie couldn’t sit. Standing still with her hands shoved in her pockets was challenge enough. “After a while I turned it into a song.”

Peridot pushed up her glasses, and turned her bee in her hands.

“Either way I’m not going to see my teen years. Probably won’t see Christmas. Now or later, it doesn’t really matter.”

“Honey, of course it matters! You matter! This is your life! It’s the most valuable thing you have!” Insisted the nurse.

“And compared to others you could buy mine for ten bucks!”

Reenie snickered into her hand, mostly out of nerves.

“She’s got you there, Zands.”

“A shooting star may last between blinks, but it still has the power to grant wishes.”

“That’s stupid,” Peridot stated matter-of-factly. “Shooting stars aren’t even stars. They’re meteors that ignite in the planet’s atmosphere. They have no magical wish granting ability.”

Zandy patted her head.

“If you survive, we’re getting you a childhood.”

Then was simple, in theory. In practice, any of a number of things could go wrong. A hospital was the worse and best place to be. They had to time it perfectly so if something went wrong they would have the longest possible time before the staff could react. The future might have cured the common cold, but it couldn’t solve under-staffed state hospitals.

Zandy’s paranoia had grown over the years, and pushed her to acquire skills she could have never dreamed of. In this case she had spent time in medical offices to learn the faults in the equipment and how to exploit them. As she had told her wife has she practiced coding into the late morning, “What if you have an accident and your heart stops, but we’re immortal, un-aging monster so you’re not dead you just need a few hours. But then the government finds out and abducts you and starts doing strange experiments. And I can’t fit into latex! We tried! We used baby powder and super glide lube! It’s not going to work! Then I’d have to open a bath house and pretend to be a gay man named Marley who sucks dicks and blood during the night and fights to make interstellar beings legal citizens! But of course they’re going to figure me out and arrest me at the bath house. So that means I’ll have to explain why I’m an a gay man alien to my father while being locked away in area 6X9 to be cut open alive so they can fight the Russians!” Her nose was booped. But she was able to write a program that would fool monitors into thinking someone was hooked up even when the sensors were disconnected. Of course the thing had to be changed to keep up with the years, but it was about to pay off. 

Being Peridot’s nurse for weeks meant she had access to her vitals. All she had to do was pick an average day, and copy the data over. Now she could plug it in to keep the nurses none the wiser. Much of the necessary equipment had been snuck in piece by piece in her scrubs. If nothing else, she could insist on having that room for her wife in the future and sneak them all out again when she thought there wasn’t going to be a use for them. 

Times like these she wished her wife had taken her advice and developed a usable background in medicine. A doctor on the floor would be far less suspicious than the world’s richest lawyer(officially). The only thing they could say is since, given the extreme circumstances, they had been granted a fostor period. Still it made everyone nervous. 

Zandy must have explained everything a half dozen more times, even as she inserted the needles and ran the machines her mouth ran on autopilot. A coping mechanism she hadn’t used since she had to go through medical school proper. Talking through each procedure to reassure the patient and herself. While Reenie stood near the door chewing her thumb nail, growing more impatient with the useless chatty that seem to drag out time, Peridot found the running stream of information and logic steadying.

They didn’t want to risk anything by adding drugs that might complicate the ceremony. So it was up to her to stay as calm as possible to keep from tipping off the cardiologist. It wasn’t easy. No matter how many times you rationalize it, your primate brain is aware that the end is coming and wants to fight for each breath. 

While her nurse inspected every drop of life that flowed out, Reenie pulled up a documentary about the language of bees and complained that wasn’t room for her to see it. Peridot suggested she get on the bed with her. The blonde scratched the back of her head and pointed out that she was half a mile worth of leg.

“That’s okay, you can sit up here and I’ll be on top of you,” Peridot offered while trying to open the sheets and move over. 

The couple exchanged looks, then the nurse tilted her head to encourage her wife to take the offer. She then had to help the child get moved over and comfortable snug in Reenie’s side.

Now she had a warm body to comfort her and a shiny movie that let her believe that the world was designed to make sense. In her heart there was a whisper that she was born to meet these two so that she could live forever and rule the world. Then everyone could have a job and purpose. No more war, no more poverty, no more dark nights when she couldn’t sleep because the pillow would cry on her. She hated when the pillow did that.

As her blood pressure dropped it had the conflicting effects of making her drowsy and speeding up her little heart. For the longest time the wondered if she was dying, and when she got bored of pondering her mortality, she had to wonder it she cared. The thought that drifted in and out was,  _ I hope I don’t spit out the blood. I really don’t want to drink it.  _

“Babe, she’s falling asleep on my arm. Are we close?”

“Um, maybe? Should she drink? It was hard to keep you-you-”

“Yeah, drink, and then maybe the I.V. No better place to mess up, than hospital.”

“Yeah,” the nurses voice was deep and raw. Peridot furrowed her brow. There wasn’t any need for that. She was safe and warm at home. Like all kids are suppose to be, listening to the hum of the bees in garden.

“Dottie, sweetie. It’s time for you to drink. I need you to sit up.”

Finding the will and the energy, she just wanted to sleep.  But the arm keeping her side warm helped her sit up while a mug of what smelled like hot chocolate was brought to her lips. 

“I now it’s a lot, but I need you to drink it all down. Please? Remember this is what you wanted.”

Sleep was all she wanted, but maybe if she drank this warm, slightly gross tasting ocean, they’d let her go back to sleep.

“That’s it, Dottie. Get it all down.” 

The second the last drop was choked down, she fell back and was gone before her head hit Reenie’s shoulder, a smile on her lips. 

***

“Pulse is gone. She’s flat-lining.” Zandy finished removing the I.V. lines and hasting the borrowed equipment to their hiding placing. “We’ve got a minute before the lack of oxygen affects the brain,” she continued to comment while helping her wife out of the bed. 

“You know this shit better than me.” Her nerves were tight but the unspoken trust reassured them both that the nurse had crisis situations practiced like a expert ballerina. 

“Timer’s going. I’ll pull the bug, toss it to you, and you get out in the hall while I call the code. We’ll need space to work.” 

“You got it,  cowboy.” 

Zandy gave her a weak smile, checked the child that nothing was out of place, reconnected the vitals feed. Two seconds of flat lining and she smashed the call button. Reenie walked out the door, leaving it open as a team rushed in to the chant of, “code pink.”

***

Everyone was waiting for her! They didn’t have names, but they were all her brothers and sisters, waiting  with open arms, and smile. All the doubt was gone, fear was an alien concept. She ran with them through downy, beccarite grasses that waves up at the warming butter sun. There was a rainbow carpet of petals that whispered the most intoxicating perfumes as greeting. Peals of laughter synced into the songs of meadow birds. Her legs never ceased. Her lungs never hurt. If she reached up her finger tips could touch the aqua sky with its whip cream castles.

She could fly!

She only knew this wonder, love, and freedom!

“Peridot!”

It was her. The source of all this love. The one with the big rose colored hair. 

“Peridot! It’s time to decide.”

She lighted in a boat, and pursed her lips so that the bottom stuck out, and squinted one eye.

“What are you talking about?” Everyone did whatever came to mind.

“Remember? We talked about this before. You can stay here, with our family, forever, or you can go back?”

“Back?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my name is Quandisa. I will take your tropes and make them gay.


	22. A Bad Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drama, drama, who's your mama?

Shouts echoed off the rusting balconies. Blood pounded in her ears and the taste of the chase sharpened her senses. The hard steel of her piece bumped against her chest with every footfall.  The end of the alley was coming up. A turn, a twist, and a hard left. Her partner would have them frozen at the end of the alley, hands up ready for the cuffs. Then just a quick wait for the already phoned police and a hot night of luvin’ ‘til dawn. Only she never made it to the end of the alley. One blind turn, and it was lights out.  

When she came to she was missing her gun and was cuffed to a radiator. It was an old factory shut down just a year ago. She should know, it was her firm that won the class action lawsuit that shut it down for numerous safety code violations. The splitting in her skull confirm her suspicion.  The first several minutes she barely breathing, not only because it was painful to do so, but to make sure her captors weren’t around. 

At first, there was silence. Then it bloomed, the scratch of rats’ claws, the tapping of metal in the wind. Nothing  betrayed another living person in the building. She hazard opening her eyes. The blood had formed a crust over them making the task more difficult than usual. Immediately, her vision was cast on the prone figure of her wife chained to pipe that ran floor to ceiling. The scarlet streak running down her chin was bad. The patch of sunlight next to her was worst. She tried to call out but found a rag gagging her. There was nothing she could do. Those were the longest hours of her life.

**** 

Pacing had worn her out after an hour. A nurse had came by and offered her a seat in a public visiting area. But as soon as she’d seat she’d be back up pining for the smokes she gave up decades before. 

_ What could be taking so long?!  _

“She’s either dead or alive! What’s so difficult about that?! I could do it! Plant alive!” She announced to a potted plant. “Bob dead! See? Easy like a freshman boy!” Her interface was ripped off in frustration. The constant nagging in her brain was unceasing. This helpless feeling was the worse. It was hard to admit there were some things she couldn’t do. 

Other people came and sat in murmurs and brought their own anxious auras that seemed to chill the light.

The only thing keeping her from scaling the walls was the fact that she had drained herself in excess of the norm to wait for the new mouth to feed.

The realization was like a shot through the heart.

“A mother. I might be a mother.” She head felt light, as if it could float away. That would explain why the tiles where lurching up at her.

“Hey hon, you don’t look so good.” Another nurse. “Why don’t you take a seat?” She was guided down, just in time too. The legs she was always so proud of seem to be liquefying underneath her.

“Peri. What’s going on with Peri?”

“Don’t know yet. There’s just so much going on and we can’t pop in and ask. Say, isn’t your partner a nurse or a doctor? I swear you look familiar.”

“Zandy. My wife. She’s- She’s in there.”

“I see. I’ll see what I can do. But take it easy. We don’t need any more stiffs down here. Get me?”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

Time didn’t pass. She was just stuck in the same nightmare.

She was about to scream and demand answers when her wife appeared, bags a deep raisin color under her eyes. 

“She’s in a coma and not stable. She keeps crashing. We get her back for five minutes and her blood pressure drops.  We’re having use machines for everything.”

The space between them could have been the Grand Canyon as far as Reenie was concerned. She didn’t know how to bridge it. 

“I’m staying. I’ll stay as long as they me. Then I’ll nap in the call room and get up. You don’t have to stay. Go home, beat something up. Call you goons and write Bob’s will. I know this is hell for you.” 

Words had abandoned her. Emotions were a twisting cyclone that threaten to tear what was left of her logic. There wasn’t anything she could do here. Her pacing was making things worse for the people who already had families.  Most would think her cold for leaving, but Zandy understood. That was the great thing about marrying your best friend. They sometimes knew how you would react before you could. Objectively, she could do more good for them all somewhere.

“Alright, I’ll file a police report check in with work. I’ll only go as far as the house. The pope be damned if I deal with traffic today. I’ll double check that we have… stuff. But before I head out you should get lunch.”

“No appetite,” she shook her greasy overgrown bangs.

“I know, but you know staying up runs you low, and when the stress dies down it’ll come back with avengeance. No need to show the gals your trendy teeth enhancements.”

“Reenie,” Zandy sighed as she was lead away. Her body was weak but her mind was wired. 

“Yes, Reenie will make it better.”

“But you’re tapped. We took a liter and a half a day ago.”   

“I’ve been taking my vitamins and I’m not driving.” She pushed into the staff room and into a single use bathroom. 

“You are an unstoppable force,” Zandy sighed as her wife removed her top and draped her arms around her neck.   

“Et tu es mon objet immuable,” she smirked, raking her fingers through the locks, delighting in the shiver she felt run up her wife’s spine.

“French? Are we not fighting?” Her has naturally fell on the still firm ass.

“I wave the white panties of truce. Now,” she licked a broad stripe up her neck, “give my shower-head something to be jealous.”

“A swallow, then you go home.”

“My favorite women always swallow whole,” the familiar dance of lips on scars, and hands kneading her rounded flesh calmed her down. Her eyes slipped closed as she savored the warmth of the only embrace that fit her body and soul like a missing piece. The pierce of skin excited her heart, like Pavlov's dogs, she was overwhelmed with trust, sagging in her lover’s arms. It must have been the stress that made her so weak.

The bridge between them was brief, but the copper taste filled her mouth before the hold ended.

“There. Happy?”

“If I had ten minutes alone with that mouth,” she teased.

“Go home.”

“Yeah, yeah. Go be Superwoman, while I wait in spandex.” She redressed.

“But you can’t get in it either!” Zandy despaired. 

Reenie came her a “What the fuck, babe?” look, before she opened the door.

“I’ll stay in touch when I can.”

“Sure, sure. I think I’ll force myself to eat. I’m feeling a little woozy.” Instantly, a steady arm held her.

“Do you need to sit down? I can get someone to grab you a snack. There’s no need to rush off.”

“Code Pink, Room six-five! Repeat-” the intercom blasted.

“Shit! I have to go! Please!  _ Please  _ don’t do anything stupid!” The nurse pleaded.

“No promises.”

“You- You don’t change.” She said with a moment of realization.

“Yeah, maybe that’s why I- No, go. Just go. You’ll hate yourself forever if you don’t.”

And just like that she was gone. The room was as still as the hated waiting area. She couldn’t stand it, and left on her watery knees. Food of some sort was needed, but cafeteria shit had a negative appeal.

The halls were deceptively calm. It was more Buddhist temple that place of suffering. There was so much she needed to get done. Yet she couldn’t muster the motivation for it. Out on the drop-off zone she looked over the  parking lot. Something held her back from taking that first step onto the weather gray pavement. It was as a line was tangled up around her heart, each breath freshener the cuts it worked in the leathery muscle and if she stepped onto the asphalt the line that reached backwards would become taunt, after a few steps it would snap and something would bleed inward. 

“Oh hell.”  She turned heel and marched into the cafeteria and right up to the counter. “Coffee! Sugar, plenty, cream the same, and keep them coming. I want coffee coming out of my eye balls!”

******

The codes slowed down until Peridot stabilized at sundown. She needed rest, but she couldn’t pull herself away. A chair, some bleach scented threadbare blankets were all the comfort she needed. Sleep was impossible but she did catnap in between blinks to check the monitors. The only person who didn’t tell her to lie down and take a break was Holly. As hard of an ass as that woman was, she understood people.

She must have dozed for a warmth pressed into her cheek woke her.

“Over protective much? I knew you’d be the hover type of mother.” Reenie was unusually chipper. At least she came with coffee. “Has the grasshopper woken up yet?”

“No,” she croaked smelling the life giving brew. “Maybe a coma from all the trauma. The brain pattern is strange. We’re all just waiting. At least it’s been a few hours since her last code. God! It was awful. I could see it in the doctor’s eyes. They thought it was hopeless. But, I knew it wasn’t. She just needs to wake up.”

“I always knew you were smarter than those university sycophants. They go in saying it’s for some dead who’s-it and finish realizing that everyone dies and they’ve picked the Grim  Reaper as a business partner, so they might as well charge enough for their missing souls.

“I wonder how the cat is doing.”

“Mm.” The future was a doubled edged blade that floated above their heads. They both wanted to speak the words, but were afraid some higher power would cut down the future they worked towards. Pride came before the fall. “This tastes like the crap they serve downstairs.”

“Yep, the stalest of the coffee pots was saved just for us.”

“Would have thought you brought back something good.”

“Nah, decided you were having too much fun, so I stayed and worked here. You can’t be the only one to sport such stylish eye bags. 

They chatted, and fell in tense silence over a few more hours. Reenie climbed onto the arm of the chair and rested against the wall, losing the war of the eyelids.

Just past two in the morning the beeping changed. Zandy’s eyes sharped on the increasing heart beat, she nudged her wife awake. Peridot’s face twisted and contorted. They held their breath. 

Slowly, green bloodshot eyes opened and stared at them.

They stared back.

“Zandy? Reenie?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: Characters live on beyond their stories.


	23. Night of the Living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Assholes, bees, beaches, oh my!

“Good evening, I’ll be your nurse night. You may call me Nurse Zandy, and accompany is your physician..”

“Doctor Peridot, alternative specialist. You’re extremely lucky that I’m taking on your case. I’m very busy with my research.”

“Pfa! I knew you’d come crawlin’ bac-achoo!” The sneeze prompted the nurse to sweep the little doctor up in a hug, but the blonde wiggled her way out.

“Mom! It’s fine! The vaccine is effective against ninety percent of the common flu viruses.”

“Stupid fuu,”cursed the bed bound lawyer.

“I know, but I’m over protective.”

“It’s been two years. I’m more likely to have a relapse than die of the flu.”

“But, you’re my little Per-Bear,” pouted Zandy.

“I know. Let me do stuff.”

“Yeah, like gib me a few minutes alone wif the nurse.”

Her wife glared at her.

“I’m the doctor, and I have to prescribe now!” Insisted the girl who looked over  the readouts. “You need a vacation. Cortisol levels are too high. After three more days you need to book a flight.”

“She’b my favoribibe doctor,” sniffed the patient. “Tell me we haf to go somebhere sunny.”

“I always prefer the arctic circle,” Zandy offered.

“Mexico. But the Mosuo will need a babysitter. Their temperature needs to be constantly monitored, and sugar needs to be added as they only produced eighty pounds to get them through the winter.”

“Stupid bees. Don’- eben git any honey,” pouted Reenie, crossing her arms.

“They’re babies! They need to establish-!”

“Dottie, sweetie, she’s just being a baby. She loathes being sick. Why don’t you help me figure out breakfast and then you can start looking for a suitable sitter.”

“Alright. Then we can go spelunking in Mexico!” 

“What? Cabes? Cabes are the one damb hole I bon’t li-i-achoo!”

“But the crystals-!”

“Dr. Dottie, come along. You know I’m terrible with the synthesizer.”

The pint-sized pre-teen was plucked back into the air and exchanged stuck out tongues with her other mother, before being taken to the breakfast nook. She eagerly hopped down and opened her interfaces, her new glasses allowed iris control.

“Do you think we’ll really go? I never thought I’d get to travel anywhere until I became a world famous scientist! People would pay to have me share my brilliance with the masses!”

Zandy giggled. It was hard to believe the confident, boasting child who declared the inevitability of her global conquest was the same deathly ill child who had accepted her Fate. Now the house was filled with the sounds of playful banter and bickering, like the garden sang with the hum of heritage honey bees. It was a miracle that anything could replace the rows that played on a loop.

“We need to finish that new state amendment, and I need to finish seeing Bob in court.  You know Reenie’s been working around the clock to finalize the campaign.” 

A few buttons and the soup was ready to be heated.

“Yeah. I got her those vitamin shots.” 

The cat jumped up and head butted her hand. Cats need a lot of attention.

“She gets bored easily. I think she’s excited to share things with you. And she’s a show off.”

“That’s so pathetic. Also, I received a flawless report card, as expected.” The report was thrust into Zandy’s face. “Praise me!”

“Oh I can do better than that. How about a Mysterious Mysteries marathon? We can laugh at the vampire doughnut?”

“I’ll accept, but only because you like it.” She flicked her wrist in a dismissively but rushed to get into the shower and her P.J.s when the temporarily retired nurse named them as conditions.

Soup and lemon water in hand she returned to  the patient’s side. 

“Oh how the mighty fall. The great Zareen Murta-Diamond fell by a flu.” She set the tray up. 

“It was dat kid of yours fault. She brought id home.” The soup was carefully inspected. 

“From where? The after school robotics club? The bees? The poor girl barely goes anywhere. You should have listened to me and gotten the vaccine. We both did and now we’re watching tacky television to celebrate her report card.”

“I want tacky t.v.! You come be my pillow and the squirt can be my foot warmber. Ben da money.”

“She’s a twelve year old, not a cat. Eat so you can take your medicine. Then you can get back to finalizing the new law and then…” Zandy leaned down, and lowered her voice to Reenie’s ear. “I want you to check my arguments, because when I fuck an asshole I want to make sure my wife enjoys the show.”

Maybe it was the fever, but the blonde visibly shivered.

“You saucy minx! I thoub you were a mob now.”

“I can be a mother who teaches her daughter how to screw assholes over. It’s an important life skill for a girl.”

“And I git ta watch!” The patient bounced up.

“Yes, front row seat. The only one that knows I’m doing it without panties on. Or, if Dottie comes maybe we should change that little celebratory tradition.” 

“Wha?! If she comes, I can’d?!”

“We can’t explain why we’re spending twenty minutes in a broom closet to her!”

“Bub I like it!”

“We can’t do it at home, or in the car when she’s asleep!”

“Be do dat now!” Reenie pouted.

“We’ll figure it out,” she kissed her first child’s temple before joining her second.

*******

Lunch was the worse. The food was the same vomit odor that came in a rainbow of shit. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t eat any of it. Guy got it every day. Somehow his mother always knew that he’d end up in a hair net.

“Well, lookie here. If it ain’t Uncle Bobby. Hey, Blud! It’s that Uncle what gonna sprung me! Say ‘ow you gonna spring me, if you in here?”

“Sid. Shut up. Just-” The line behind Sid voiced their displeasure. Lest he risk a beating he threw the slop down and kept his head low.

******

“For far too long the most vulnerable of society has been regulated to the shadows, forced into the status of second class citizens on the basis of birth. It is sickening to think a child could be forced to suffer this stigma that denies them the freedom of access to medical procedures that allow a higher level of living that is universally enjoyed. 

“We are grateful to the dedication and humanitarian efforts of the Diamond Law firm who’s team has worked tirelessly to bring this grave injustice to the attention of the American people, and continue to raise funds and donate their time to children who have yet to find their families.

“Until such time, Peri’s Law will guarantee that every child has access to the same quality of life as any other.  And to tell you about the brave girl who has inspired the nation, Zareen Zircon.”

There was thunderous applause.

“Thank you. I couldn’t have done this without my partner or Peri. My partner met Peri when she diagnosed with terminal cancer. A bright grade schooler with a set of stunning eyes and a sharp tongue. I thought it was criminal to have such a gifted mind hindered. 

“Now I don’t have a cure for cancer, if I did I wouldn’t be married to a nurse, but I did notice that those gorgeous jade eyes were being hidden. Simple laser surgery, a practically medieval technology that could save her a lifetime of frustration was denied of her because of the antiquated definition that classified it as a luxury procedure. That had to change!

“Now, Peri didn’t care. She was aware the whole dying thing was a bigger cramp on her style than the frames, but she did agree that the thousands of orphans in this country should have the choice. This law may bare her name, but it’s for everyone who was denied a family from the word go. No one should be treated differently for something beyond their control.”

More applause.

“Now I did all this work, and I still don’t to see her eyes! Fashion specs! Go figure!”

Laughter.

*****

Isla Mujeres was not as sleepy has it had once been, but the harsh weather had kept the real estate developers to a minimum. Casa  Levis remained the only building on the island with a basement reinforced with a foot and a half of concrete. 

Under the silvery veil of moonlight a car rolled over the sea grass ruled gravel drive. The breeze bent everything to its will. As soon as the car stopped the back door flew open and a honey-hair child ran out only to freeze at the edge of the lapping waves. The air hit her with different temperatures and fragrances. Everything moved. It was alive.

“Dottie! Watch for jellyfish!”

“I know, mom!”

An hour passed before the girl was joined by her family.

“S’up Per-Per? Amazed anything that be that wet?”

Peridot watched the sand shift and bubble under her feet.

“It’s all alive,” she observed. Zandy knelt down next to her.

“What do you mean?” She rubbed her daughter's arm through the sleeve.

“I never thought I’d be here.”

“The beach? People go to the beach. Even mermaids go to the beach for vacations.” Reenie ran her hand through her over grown hair, then ruffled her daughter’s.

“Mermaids aren’t real!” Peridot rolled her eyes.

“Sure they are! One time I-” She was getting mermaid glares, “help one comb her hair.”

“You’re making things up again.”

“Or, am I?” The lawyer bent down with a teasing smirk.

The kid hated that smirk.

“Yes! Your face is full of lies!”

“Well, my! My!” Reenie dropped her arms to her sides. “Guess there’s only one thing to do!” She scooped up the child and waded out to dunk them both into the frigid water.

“Reenie! She’s still two lessons short from knowing how to swim!” Protested Zandy.

“Oh no! Two lessons! We shall both surely drown! Better do something!” Being spun around and dipped had turned Peridot’s shrieks into joyous ones. When the brunette joined them she threw up a wave of water at her would-be savior. 

Up on a tall dune a woman in a red trench coat watched with a man in black.

“Another one. Mon, why’ja have ta take another from me? Why can’t you let me do my job in peace?”

“Don’t blame me, Grim. This was the will of the people. Besides, they look cute down there. One small, gay family. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next.”

The man shrugged.

“Tall the same ta me. But if dis gets out of hand-”

“Oh, do calm down! The Doctors are the ones that want you out of a job, not I. Think of all the depressed teens that would have nothing to masturbate to in the shower if you were gone,” she smiled.

“Gee, thanks,” he replied sarcastically.  

The woman paid him no mind, watching as the girl chastised a rogue wave to the amusement of her mothers. “You’re welcome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I brought back the mysteries! No one did guess who they are.

**Author's Note:**

> Titles are hard.  
> Also, say hi to Peri, and the return of depressed Reenie! She's full of rage. It probably comes as a shock (especially if you didn't read Bella et la Bête), but Courtship is a flawed ship and as good as it gets it still gets bad.


End file.
